Who will succeed the pair Benjamin Kedochim-Nicolas Platret, victorious last year on the Golf de Bourbon after a fierce resistance during the last round against the duo Antoine Schwartz-Sébastien Gros? Difficult to provide any beginning of an answer to this question since no defending team has managed to pass the pass of two since 2014 and the officialization of the tournament as French Open professional doubles.
French Open professional doubles, statements
“After two first editions (in singles) in 2006 and 2007 counting for the Alps Tour, we moved in 2008 to a double championship by invitation, explains Jean-Marie Hoarau, President of the Regional Golf League of Reunion.
The game format was then articulated with two rounds in fourballs and one round in greensome. But as the greensome is not an officially recognized format, it has been replaced by a foursome since 2014. The year the tournament became official, precisely!”
All the best French golfers have competed at least once in this atypical event organized alternately on the two courses on Reunion Island, the Bourbon golf course and the Bassin Bleu golf course. Matthieu Pavon, Alexander Levy, Antoine Rozner, Victor Perez… All are evolving with regularity and brilliance today on the DP World Tour.
In 2018, Romain Langasque, present at the last Race final in Dubai (November 17-20), even won with Antoine Schwartz. If these two did not make the trip this year, the 9th edition of these French Open professional doubles can count on the presence of Julien Guerrier, member of the European Tour, 105th in the ranking in 2022 with in particular two third places .
In his wake, we find Grégory Havret, who needs no introduction, fifth last year with Jean Damien Yvet. They are still associated this week. The fact that Julien (Warrior) comes, when he could have lined up very well at Leopard Creek, is a real reward for us… “For us, it’s a real blessing,” enthuses Jean-Marie Hoarau.
If they are there, it is because they are also looking for a moment of happiness, a moment of relaxation but also of sharing. This is what constitutes the DNA of our tournament. The fact that Julien (Guerrier) is coming, when he could have lined up very well at Leopard Creek (at the Alfred Dunhill Championship), it’s a real reward for us…”
Also present are the residents of the Challenge Tour such as Victor Riu, Clément Berardo, Jérôme Lando-Casanova and Romain Wattel. They team up respectively with Stanislas Caturla, Romain Vallaeys, Baptiste Achard and Eliott Azoulay… At the start also Julien Sale, the “regional” of the stage, in pairs with another Reunionese, Alexandre Daydou, and still an amateur at the beginning of September with the France team at the World Championships in St Nom-la-Bretèche and at the Golf National…
