Matt Fitzpatrick Claims 11th DP World Tour Title With Gritty Open de France Victory

Matt Fitzpatrick arrived at the 13th tee at Le Golf National on Sunday afternoon watching a five-shot lead evaporate into a dogfight. After grinding through nine consecutive pars to open his final round, the 32-year-old Englishman needed a spark to hold off a surging European leaderboard. He found it with a dart of an approach shot, setting up his first birdie of the day and slamming the door on the 2026 FedEx Open de France.[1][3]

Fitzpatrick closed with a gritty 1-under 70 to finish at 20-under 264, securing his 11th career DP World Tour victory by a three-shot margin. The win at the historic Parisian venue—host of the 2018 Ryder Cup—earns him $637,500 from the $3.75 million purse and 835 crucial Race to Dubai points as the season enters its final quarter.[2][4]

The final round was far from the procession it appeared it might be on Saturday night. After firing brilliant rounds of 65, 64, and 65 over the first three days, Fitzpatrick found himself scrambling on Sunday. He relied heavily on his short game to save par across the front nine, maintaining his advantage as the chasing pack closed in.[1][3]

"I feel like I'm in a position that if I go and shoot a good round tomorrow, then obviously it makes it almost impossible to catch," Fitzpatrick said Saturday evening, foreshadowing the defensive posture he would have to take. "But long way to go, and just take it hole by hole."[3]

The pressure peaked around the turn. Spain's Eugenio Chacarra briefly closed the gap to just two strokes before a double bogey at the 13th derailed his charge. Norway's Kristoffer Reitan also applied heat but surrendered momentum with late bogeys on the 15th and 17th holes.[1]

With the challengers faltering, Fitzpatrick delivered the knockout blow. After his momentum-shifting birdie on the 13th, he walked in a 30-foot birdie putt on the 15th to reach 21-under par, effectively icing the tournament. A three-putt bogey on the 18th hole slightly trimmed his final margin, but the outcome was already secure.[1]

Spain's Angel Hidalgo finished alone in second at 17-under par after a closing 67. While he missed out on the trophy, Hidalgo earned a massive consolation prize: the tournament's single exemption spot into the 2027 Open Championship at St Andrews.[1][2]

A four-way tie for third at 15-under included Chacarra, Reitan, France's Matthieu Pavon, and Tom Vaillant, who enjoyed raucous support from the home crowd all weekend. Defending champion Michael Kim, who won the event in 2025 when it was temporarily relocated to Golf de Saint-Nom-La-Bretèche, finished tied for seventh at 14-under alongside Guido Migliozzi and Brandon Stone.[1][2][4]