The Open de France is a European Tour golf tournament. Inaugurated in 1906 it is the oldest national open in Continental Europe and has been part of the European Tour's schedule since the tour's inception in 1972. Originally played at La Boulie Golf Club, the tournament has been hosted by many different venues, but since 1991, it has been held at the Le Golf National near Paris every year except for 1999 and 2001. Since the turn of the Millennium the Fédération Française de Golf has made a concerted effort to enhance the stature of the event. One of these measures included the dropping of title sponsorship from 2003. In 2004 qualifying tournaments were introduced on the model of those for The Open Championship and the U.S. Open and are open to professionals and amateurs. The prize fund has also risen, from €865,000 in 1999 to €4 million from 2006, which puts the Open de France in the top group of European Tour events, excluding the majors and the World Golf Championships, which are co-sanctioned by the U.S. based PGA Tour.
Past Winners Open de France ALSTOM 2009 Martin Kaymer 2008 Pablo Larrazábal 2007 Graeme Storm 2006 John Bickerton Open de France 2005 Jean-François Remésy 2004 Jean-François Remésy 2003 Philip Golding 2002 Malcolm MacKenzie 2001 José María Olazábal 2000 Colin Montgomerie 1999 Retief Goosen Peugeot Open de France 1998 Sam Torrance 1997 Retief Goosen 1996 Robert Allenby 1995 Paul Broadhurst 1994 Mark Roe 1993 Costantino Rocca 1992 Miguel Ángel Martín 1991 Eduardo Romero 1990 Philip Walton 1989 Nick Faldo 1988 Nick Faldo 1987 José Rivero 1986 Seve Ballesteros 1985 Seve Ballesteros 1984 Bernhard Langer 1983 Nick Faldo 1982 Seve Ballesteros 1981 Sandy Lyle 1980 Greg Norman French Open 1979 Bernard Gallacher 1978 Dale Hayes 1977 Seve Ballesteros 1976 Vincent Tshabalala 1975 Brian Barnes 1974 Peter Oosterhuis 1973 Peter Oosterhuis 1972 Barry Jaeckel 1971 Lu Liang-Huan Open de France 1970 David Graham 1969 Jean Garaïalde 1968 Peter Butler 1967 Bernard Hunt 1966 Denis Hutchinson 1965 Ramón Sota 1964 Roberto De Vicenzo 1963 Bruce Devlin 1962 Alan Murray 1961 Kel Nagle 1960 Roberto De Vicenzo 1959 Dave Thomas 1958 Flory Van Donck 1957 Flory Van Donck 1956 Ángel Miguel 1955 Byron Nelson 1954 Flory Van Donck 1953 Bobby Locke 1952 Bobby Locke 1951 Hassan Hassanein 1950 Roberto De Vicenzo 1949 Ugo Grappasonni 1948 Firmin Cavalo 1947 Henry Cotton 1946 Henry Cotton 1940-45 No tournament due to World War II 1939 Martin Pose 1938 Marcel Dallemagne 1937 Marcel Dallemagne 1936 Marcel Dallemagne 1935 Sid Brews 1934 Sid Brews 1933 Bert Gadd 1932 Arthur Lacey 1931 Aubrey Boomer 1930 Ernest Whitcombe 1929 Aubrey Boomer 1928 Cyril Tolley (amateur) 1927 George Duncan 1926 Aubrey Boomer 1925 Arnaud Massy 1924 Cyril Tolley (amateur) 1923 James Ockenden 1922 Aubrey Boomer 1921 Aubrey Boomer 1920 Walter Hagen 1915-19 No tournament due to World War I 1914 James Douglas Edgar 1913 George Duncan 1912 Jean Gassiat 1911 Arnaud Massy 1910 James Braid 1909 John Henry Taylor 1908 John Henry Taylor 1907 Arnaud Massy 1906 Arnaud Massy
