This should have represented a memorable week for Clément Sordet. It proved precisely that but for reasons far removed, far more significant than golf as the Frenchman woke to the news of the atrocity that killed 84 people in his adopted city of Nice.
The 23-year-old took to Royal Troon’s 1st tee with “Pray For Nice” handwritten on his cap. The playing of 75 shots for a second day, ensuring an eight-over-par 150 and Open debut of 36 holes, was irrelevant as Sordet discussed horrific events in France. He was at an understandable loss to explain the impact of the attack, not least when seeking to do so away from his first language.
“I come from Lyon but my girlfriend Marie is from Nice and I now live there, 500 metres from Place Massena, near the scene of the tragedy,” Sordet said. “The whole family of Marie is there so instantly we got a little scared. I never thought that this event would cause such emotions here but the players are wearing black ribbons to show their support. I am very proud of being French and we must support each other in times like this.
“It really is a sad event and my thoughts are with the families who have lost loved ones. I woke up around 4am and saw I had received lots of texts. People were asking if we were safe and, of course, we were here. I checked with people I knew to make sure they were safe and sound. I tried not to think about it, I tried to stay focused on my game and enjoy my last day at the Open.”
The ribbons to which Sordet referred were made available by the R&A for Open competitors and caddies. It was not only French players who placed them on their caps; Sweden’s Henrik Stenson and South Africa’s Ernie Els did likewise. “Our hearts go out to the victims and their families,” Phil Mickelson said. “It’s awful.”
The French flag near the 18th green was lowered to half mast as a note of respect. “I’m really proud to be French and I think we all need to support each other,” Sordet said. “I will say my prayers.
“It was a big party last night because it was the 14th of July so we had a bunch of friends and my girlfriend’s mother there in the city. They’re safe now but I feel really bad for all of the others.
“It was nice of the R&A to offer black ribbons but it was sad for me to have to lift it out of the box. It was a nice touch, too, for the French flag to be flying at half-mast. Other players have said they send their prayers.”
Sordet, a prolific winner as an amateur and former university student in Texas, qualified for the Open via the 2015 Thailand Golf Championship. Limited exemption status means he has featured only twice on the European Tour this season, making a single cut; at the French Open earlier this month.
