Fitzpatrick impresses as Kim grabs lead after 'dream start' in France — SkimNews
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- Michael Kim carded a bogey-free 63 with eight birdies — four of them in his first six holes — to take a two-shot lead after the opening round of the FedEx Open de France at Le Golf National on Thursday.
- Matt Fitzpatrick posted a bogey-free 65 with six birdies, finishing two strokes behind Kim in a seven-way tie for second and calling it a 'relatively stress-free' day at the venue.
- Sam Bairstow and Thriston Lawrence also sat two back at six under, with Lawrence giving up a shot at the final hole to fall out of outright second.
- Edoardo Molinar, a Ryder Cup vice-captain, opened with a five-under 66 to sit three strokes off the pace, while Viktor Hovland and Ryan Gerard were four back.
- Tommy Fleetwood, part of Europe's Ryder Cup-winning team at this venue in 2018, started with a two-under 69.
- Manuel Elvira, who double-bogeyed the 72nd hole to miss out on BMW PGA Championship victory on Sunday, opened with a nine-over 80 to sit second-bottom of the leaderboard.
Why it matters: Le Golf National doubles as a Ryder Cup form check, with vice-captain Molinar three back and 2018 winner Fleetwood already four off the lead — Kim's bogey-free 63, plus Fitzpatrick's clean 65, sets up a Friday chase that could sharpen European team selections before the tournament wraps.
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