Matt Fitzpatrick fired a six-under 65 at Le Golf National on Saturday to build a commanding five-shot lead heading into the final round of the FedEx Open de France. The English golfer is chasing his fourth victory of the season as he looks to fend off a chasing pack led by France’s Tom Vaillant.
The tournament at Le Golf National outside Paris — which previously hosted the 2018 Ryder Cup and the 2019 edition — has seen Matt Fitzpatrick take firm control of the leaderboard. After holding a slim one-shot advantage at the halfway mark, Fitzpatrick pulled away on Saturday by carding seven birdies alongside his first bogey of the entire week, moving to 19-under 194 overall.
How Fitzpatrick Built His Five-Shot Cushion
Fitzpatrick wasted no time establishing his rhythm on Saturday afternoon. He holed a 7-foot birdie putt on the opening hole, reached the green in two on the par-5 third to set up another birdie, and dropped a wedge to 4 feet on the sixth.
His only blemish of the day came when he failed to get up and down from off the green on the par-3 eighth. He immediately bounced back by birdieing the par-5 ninth, before adding three more after the turn — including a tap-in at the par-4 13th — to distance himself from the rest of the field. A steady up-and-down from just off the green at the 18th sealed his three-round total.
I felt really comfortable out there. It's always nice to get off to a nice start like that and then you can kind of kick on from there, Fitzpatrick added
The Englishman already owns victories on the PGA Tour this season at the Valspar Championship and the RBC Heritage, alongside a team win with his younger brother Alex at the Zurich Classic of New Orleans. Equipment adjustments also appear to be paying off for the world No. 4, who returned to the driver configuration he started the year with after navigating a difficult mid-season slump.
Home Favorite Tom Vaillant and the Chasing Pack
Sitting five strokes behind the leader in second place is Tom Vaillant. The French player, a two-time winner on the Alps Tour who is still hunting his first DP World Tour title, carded a third-round 67 to earn a coveted spot in Sunday’s final group alongside Fitzpatrick.
It's amazing. Whatever happens tomorrow, it’s something I will never forget — the final group here in French Open,
Vaillant said, pointing to the backing of the local galleries at Le Golf National.
Meanwhile, Spain’s Eugenio Chacarra produced the round of the day, carding a stellar 62 that featured an eagle at the ninth hole and five birdies across a seven-hole stretch on the back nine. Chacarra — currently third in the Race to Dubai standings behind Patrick Reed and Rory McIlroy — vaulted into a tie for third place at 13-under alongside four other competitors.
Defending Champion and Contenders Slip
Michael Kim’s title defense hit a snag on Saturday. The American, who led after the opening round, found the water on the final hole to card a costly double bogey, signing for a 70 that leaves him seven shots adrift of Fitzpatrick. Ryan Gerard, ranked No. 23 and fresh off a strong finish at the Tour Championship, remains in the mix after narrowly missing selection for the United States Presidents Cup team at Medinah.
Notable names continue to lurk further down the sheet, including Marcel Siem, who carded a 64 to climb into the top ten. However, England’s Tommy Fleetwood was forced to withdraw before the third round began due to an unexpected illness.
The Albatros Test Awaiting Sunday
Fitzpatrick acknowledged the size of his advantage but emphasized that the tournament remains far from settled across the Albatros layout.
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. Pero long way to go, and just take it hole by hole.