Three FRL picks in the Open de France 2026 at Le Golf National.
Michael Kim at 50/1 (Five Places) - 1pt EW
Kim won this tournament in 2025, albeit at a different course, closing with a 65, the second-lowest score of the day, to beat the field by one stroke. He also shot a 66 in round three, again the second-lowest score on the day.
He shot a remarkable 12-under 59 in round two of the 3M Open in July, a round that showed just how low he can go when his ball striking clicks. He followed that up with a 65 in round one of the Rocket Classic the following week to sit tied sixth after the opening round.
He then shot a 65 on day one of the FedEx St Jude Championship to take a share of the lead the week after next.
Kim arrives here off the back of a respectable tied-24th finish at the Biltmore Championship last week, where he ranked ninth in Strokes Gained: Putting. He also shot a solid 64 in round three, the fourth-lowest score of the day.
He ranks 15th in this field for true Strokes Gained: Approach over the last six months, adjusted for strength of field, which is another encouraging sign heading into this week's test in which GIR and approach will count for a lot.
Ewen Ferguson at 50/1 (Five Places) - 1pt EW
In 2023, Ferguson shared the 54-hole lead alongside Jordan Smith here, but a calamitous closing-round 76 ruined what could have been a genuine shot at victory. He opened with a 66 to sit tied fifth after round one before shooting two 67s in rounds two and three.
In 2024, he finished tied 37th but was tied 11th at the halfway point after opening rounds of 69 and 67. He missed the cut in 2025, which is some cause for concern, but he did not arrive here in anything like the form he is currently enjoying.
His recent finishes of T9-T24-T15-T9 were followed by a T56 at last week's BMW PGA Championship, despite opening with a respectable 69 to sit tied 19th after day one.
He has sat inside the top 20 after the first round in four of those five events, with first-round positions of 19-17-4-62-17.
He also shot the second-lowest score of the day in round four of the Irish Open two weeks ago, firing a 64.
Ferguson's form on courses with similar characteristics adds further confidence. A tied-ninth at the Danish Golf Championship, the closest stylistic match to Le Golf National on the DP World Tour, shows he can handle this exact brand of exposed, water-heavy test. Add a T10 at Nedbank, T15 at the British Masters and T24 at Qatar, and you have four comparable venues where accurate ball striking and course management were rewarded, precisely what Le Golf National demands.
Kazuma Kobori at 66/1 (Six Places) - 1pt ew
He's coming into the week in good form. Kobori has finished T9 at the British Masters, T14 at the Irish Open and T56 at the BMW PGA Championship in his last three starts. The T9 and T14 are particularly encouraging heading into Paris.
He has also popped up with a couple of low first rounds in recent tournaments. At the Open d'Italia in June, Kobori opened with a 65 (-6) to sit third after round one before ultimately finishing T19. He also shot a 68 (-2) in round one of the Irish Open to sit fifth the week before last.
His recent major performance is another positive, particularly given the fact that this is one of the most challenging courses on the DP World Tour circuit. He shot 70-69-67-72 at Royal Birkdale to finish tied 28th at The Open, including a 67 in round three.
Accuracy could be a useful asset at Le Golf National. Kobori is ranked No.1 on the 2026 DP World Tour for driving accuracy and ranks eighth for true Strokes Gained: Approach over the last six months in this field. We need his putter to fire if he wants to have a shot at it.
