Tom Vaillant comes close to the podium in Korea: France smiles, but not too much – Golf & fairway

Ah, the Genesis Championship, this tournament that thrills fans… and the French who just hope not to finish in last place. This week, Tom Vaillant did more than survive: he finished 4th, just two shots behind leaders Haotong Li and MK Kim. A feat, if we forget that the rest of the French delegation barely came close to par.

A start with a bang… or almost

Vaillant started his tournament with a 67 (-4). For a player who was hanging around the world top 300 this season, it’s almost a sensation. After a checkered year in 2025, Cannes showed that autumn could be kind to the French, at least for a while. He is thus placed 4th, with a European top 70 in his sights. A ticket to Abu Dhabi and perhaps, let’s be crazy, a first participation in Dubai.

Leaders: Li and Kim, or how to stay humble

Haotong Li and MK Kim are in the lead, and we have the feeling that Tom Vaillant, even in good shape, will still have to sweat to catch up with them. Between them and him, the Spaniard Alejandro Del Rey slips into 3rd place. In short, the podium is there, but France must be satisfied with a small 4th which serves as consolation.

The French in the wake

The rest of the French team? We’ll say that it’s going… slowly. Martin Couvrera, David Ravetto and Ugo Coussaud are under par, but in 36th place. Romain Langasque is at +1, Fred Lacroix at +3. And for Julien Guerrier and Jeong Weon Ko, the score is painful: +7, which relegates them to 118th place. The irony is that only Vaillant and these three other Frenchmen can boast of being under par, while the rest seem to be enjoying a South Korean stroll.

• Tom Vaillant : 4e (-4)
• Martin Couvrera: 36th (-1)
• David Ravetto : 36e (-1)
• Ugo Coussaud : 36e (-1)
• Romain Langasque : 69e (+1)
• Fred Lacroix : 91e (+3)
• Julien Guerrier: 118th (+7)
• Jeong Weon Ko : 118e (+7)

Technical analysis: the good, the bad and the WTF

Vaillant knew how to capitalize on his shots. The drives are long and rather precise, but the real strength of his first round lies in the putting. Solid, precise putting, which allows him to transform pars into birdies when the rest of the French troop is fighting with the greens. The paradox? Even with a solid game, he remains behind the leaders. Proof that the DP World Tour is not a vacation club.

The French outsiders: reprieve or mirage?

Couvra, Ravetto and Coussaud proved that they could hold on under par. But in 36th place, the message is clear: being under par is not enough to hope to grab the top places. Langasque seems stuck in his routine (+1), while Guerrier and Ko seem to have forgotten where the fairways are. A week to understand that, in golf, consistency is a fiction for many.

The notable moments

• Vaillant’s perfect drive on 5: the guy sends the ball almost to the green and ends with a birdie, the French public exults (in silence, because it’s Korea).
• Langasque’s improbable bogey on 12: ball in the bunker, ball in the water, and Langasque still wondering how he did it.
• Couvra’s putt on 18: a final birdie which saves an already average day, but which gives him the impression of having achieved an Olympic feat.

Ranking of the French after the first round

French paradoxes

French golf suffers from blatant contradictions. Vaillant shows that he can compete, but alone, as if the other French people were doing a touring course on the course. Being under par for some does not propel them into the top 10, while Vaillant, despite a solid card, still has to chase Li and Kim. France, in all this, smiles but remains cautious. There are positives, yes, but not enough to set off fireworks.

Ironic (but factual) conclusion

If you were looking for a French miracle this week, you will have to settle for Tom Vaillant’s 4th. The rest ? Decent scores, uneven performances and some almost comical situations. French golf remains capable of flashes of genius, but for the rest, we observe, we smile, we note, and we hope that the next tournament will be less capricious.

Warning: this article is intended to be ironic and humorous. The facts are accurate, but the exaggeration and satire are assumed. To read without taking yourself seriously.