Fitzpatrick grinds out a three-shot Open de France win in Paris

Matt Fitzpatrick took a five-shot lead into Sunday at Le Golf National, went 12 holes without a birdie while the chasing pack closed in, and still finished three clear on 20 under par after a closing 70. The FedEx Open de France is his 11th DP World Tour title.

Spain’s Angel Hidalgo was runner-up on 17 under after a final-round 67, and with it he claimed the place in the 155th Open at St Andrews on offer to the leading player not already exempt.

Final leaderboard

Pos	Player	To par	Final round
1	Matt Fitzpatrick (ENG)	-20	70
2	Angel Hidalgo (ESP)	-17	67
T3	Matthieu Pavon (FRA)	-15	64
T3	Kristoffer Reitan (NOR)	-15	69
T3	Eugenio Chacarra (ESP)	-15	69
T3	Tom Vaillant (FRA)	-15	70
T7	Michael Kim (USA)	-14	69
T7	Guido Migliozzi (ITA)	-14	69
T7	Brandon Stone (RSA)	-14	70
10	Jeff Winther (DEN)	-13	71

Saturday: the lead grows to five

Fitzpatrick did most of the damage on Saturday. His third-round 65 contained seven birdies and his first bogey of the week, at the eighth, and took him to 19 under. According to the DP World Tour, his 54-hole total of 194 matched the tournament record Seve Ballesteros set in 1985.

Home favourite Tom Vaillant (67) was his nearest challenger on 14 under. Eugenio Chacarra shot 62, the low round of the week, finishing with a birdie at the eighth and an eagle at the ninth, and Brandon Stone posted 63. They joined Hidalgo, Reitan and Winther on 13 under.

Tommy Fleetwood, the 2017 champion, was six under at halfway but withdrew through illness before his third-round tee time.

Sunday: 12 pars, then birdies at the 13th and 15th

Fitzpatrick made nine straight pars to the turn and 12 in a row in all, saving one of them from under a tree beside an early green. Chacarra, meanwhile, went six under for six holes across Saturday’s finish and Sunday’s start, and cut the lead to two.

Chacarra’s charge ended at the 13th. He had to take a drop from deep rough, sent his third into the water and made double bogey. At the same hole, Fitzpatrick finally made his first birdie of the day.

The 15th settled it. Reitan and Chacarra both dropped shots there, Reitan’s approach going over the green into the water, and Fitzpatrick holed for birdie to go five clear again. A bogey at the last, only his second of the week, did not matter.

“It was definitely a battle today,” Fitzpatrick said afterwards.

Four wins in 2026, the first as a father

Sky Sports reports it is Fitzpatrick’s fourth win worldwide in 2026, after three PGA TOUR titles: the Valspar Championship, RBC Heritage and Zurich Classic of New Orleans. He has also just become a father for the first time, and he described this as his first win as a dad. His name now sits on a trophy won twice by Sir Nick Faldo and four times by Ballesteros.

Behind him, Pavon’s 64, matched only by Dan Bradbury on Sunday, carried him to a share of third with Vaillant. Defending champion Michael Kim, who opened with a 63 on Thursday, finished tied seventh. Ludvig Åberg closed with a 66 to finish 12 under, and Viktor Hovland ended on seven under.

Hidalgo’s birdie at the 18th locked up his trip to St Andrews next July.

Each round’s report is on the Open de France tournament hub.

Sources

• DP World Tour: official leaderboard
• DP World Tour: Matt Fitzpatrick seals victory at FedEx Open de France
• DP World Tour: Matt Fitzpatrick takes control at FedEx Open de France
• DP World Tour: Angel Hidalgo seals Open Championship spot
• Sky Sports: Fitzpatrick closes out three-shot victory at Le Golf National
• Sky Sports: Fitzpatrick takes five-shot lead as Fleetwood withdraws with illness