Matt Fitzpatrick found himself just two strokes shy of the early leader at the FedEx Open de France, as defending champion Michael Kim surged to the top of the leaderboard following what he described as a "dream start" at Le Golf National. Kim delivered a flawless round of 63, posting eight birdies and avoiding any bogeys. Four of those birdies came on the first six holes, setting the tone for a low‑scoring opening day and giving him a comfortable two‑stroke cushion over the rest of the field. The American began his round on the back nine, and after a pair of birdies on the 11th hole he continued his momentum with two more birdies at the 14th.
He then broke his string of pars by taking a birdie on the par‑four first hole, further extending his advantage. Although Kim missed an opportunity on the par‑five third hole, he quickly recovered by making consecutive birdies from the fifth hole onward, which vaulted him back to the top of the leaderboard. He then solidified his lead over the chasing pack—including Fitzpatrick—by adding another birdie on the par‑five ninth, effectively doubling his margin. "Just a dream start," Kim said after his round.
"All parts of my game were really good, especially my irons and my putting. I couldn't have asked for a better start." Fitzpatrick also enjoyed a clean opening round, carding a six‑under‑par 65 with six birdies and no mistakes. His performance placed him among a group of seven players tied for second place after the first day. Thriston Lawrence hovered just one shot behind the leader until a bogey on the final hole dropped him back to six under par.
Ryder Cup hopeful Kristoffer Reitan and England's Sam Bairstow were also two strokes off the lead, sharing the same score as Lawrence. Australian Jason Scrivener, along with Italians Giorgio De Leo and Matteo Manassero, rounded out the tied‑second group alongside Fitzpatrick.
Ryder Cup vice‑captain Edoardo Molinar trailed three strokes behind the leaders, sitting at five under par. "Really good day," Fitzpatrick reflected. "Great start to the week and relatively stress‑free, which is always nice—particularly around this golf course." Other notable performances included Viktor Hovland, who was four strokes behind the early leader, and American Ryan Gerard, who shared a similar gap.
Tommy Fleetwood, a member of the victorious European Ryder Cup team at this venue in 2018, posted a solid two‑under‑par 69. In contrast, Manuel Elvira, who had double‑bogeyed the 72nd hole to miss out on the BMW PGA Championship title the previous Sunday, struggled significantly, posting a nine‑over‑par 80 and finding himself near the bottom of the leaderboard. The FedEx Open de France continues to attract attention as fans wonder who will ultimately claim the title.
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