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Golf Monthly
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Matt Cradock

Michael Kim Stuns Home Favorite To Claim FedEx Open De France Epic

(Image credit: Getty Images)

In an epic final day, it was Michael Kim who claimed the FedEx Open De France title via a birdie-birdie-par finish, including a clutch 16-foot putt at the 72nd hole.

Kim celebrates on the 18th after holing his par putt (Image credit: Getty Images)

Starting the round one shot back of overnight leaders Min Woo Lee and Brooks Koepka, the front nine was an explosion of birdies and eagles, as the lead changed hands regularly.

Marcus Armitage, Koepka and Lee were the main ones at the top of the leaderboard and, going into the back nine, you felt that the trio were only going to extend themselves away from the chasing pack.

However, a poor back nine, combined with other players making moves, produced an epic finish over the closing stretch at Golf de Saint-Nom-La-Bretèche.

Koepka struggled on the back nine, carding a one-over 36 following a four-under front nine of 32 (Image credit: Getty Images)

One of the players in the pack that made a move was home hero Jeong Weon Ko who, with an epic eagle at the 16th, took the outright lead at 15-under, with a par-par finish meaning he set the clubhouse target.

Behind the Frenchman, both Elvis Smylie and Kim found birdies at the 16th to join Ko, but a close approach at the 17th by Kim meant he jumped to 16-under and a one stroke advantage going down the 72nd hole.

The 212-yard par 3 18th had been playing as the hardest hole all week and, pulling his tee shot left, Kim found the bunker, with the next shot leaving him 16-feet for par and, likely, victory.

Taking the putter back, it held its line superbly, dropping in the right-side for a six-under 65 and a one stroke advantage. Just five minutes later, after Lee and Koepka failed to make a hole-in-one, the trophy was Kim's.

Kim's last victory came at the 2018 John Deere Classic (Image credit: Getty Images)

Wrapping up a first title since the 2018 John Deere Classic, the American stated: "It feels amazing. I haven't won a tournament in so long. I wanted to put on a strong showing this week, so I'm happy and grateful to come out with the victory.

"I had a really good year on the PGA Tour this year, so this feels like the cherry on top. I hope to continue this throughout my career. When that putt dropped in I kind of blacked out."

FedEx Open De France Leaderboard

  • -16 Michael Kim (65)
  • -15 Jeong Weon Ko (65)
  • -15 Elvis Smylie (65)
  • -14 Brooks Koepka (68)
  • -13 Kristoffer Reitan (64)
  • -13 Marcus Armitage (66)
  • -13 Guido Migliozzi (68)
  • -13 Min Woo Lee (69)
  • -11 Jayden Schaper (65)
  • -10 Todd Clements (68)
  • -10 Darius Van Driel (69)
  • -8 Daniel Brown (67)
  • -8 Antoine Rozner (70)
  • -7 Niklas Norgaard (68)
  • -7 Ryan Fox (68)
  • -7 Jens Dantorp (70)

Updates from...

ALL ACTION HERE IN PARIS

Hello all and welcome to Golf Monthly's final round coverage of the FedEx Open de France, where we have been treated to an incredible front nine of golf!

As of writing, Marcus Armitage leads at 15-under-par, following five birdies in a row, but has just been joined by overnight leaders Brooks Koepka and Min Woo Lee, who have just eagled the par 5 eighth.

That means we now have a three-way tie at the top of the leaderboard and, with home hero Jeong Weon Ko also chasing, it's going to be an incredible back nine.

ARMITAGE BOGEYS

Armitage pulls his tee shot left at the ninth and, somehow, it finds its way behind a small sapling tree. He's forced to chip out, leaving himself greenside for his third.

Striking his chip, it's not committed, coming up 15-feet short of the hole. Armitage needs to hole this par putt to remain in a share of the lead, but pushes it right. He falls back to 14-under.

FRONT NINE COMPLETED

Lee plays a poor second shot into the green at the ninth, with his wedged approach spinning off the front edge of the green. From there, he produces a solid first putt, before rolling in a five-footer for par to remain 15-under.

Koepka, meanwhile, finds the green with his second and leaves an uphill birdie putt. His attempt is good, but also misses on the right-side, with the par keeping him 15-under.

ARMITAGE JOINS THE LEADERS

(Image credit: Getty Images)

Finding the left rough off the tee at the 10th, Armitage plays a delightful wedge that brushes Michael Kim's golf ball on the green and finishes a foot way from the hole.

It's a birdie for the Englishman, who joins Lee and Koepka at 15-under. In his group, Kim also converts his birdie attempt to move to 14-under and alongside Ko in fourth.

TREE TROUBLE FOR LEE

Pulling his tee shot left at the par 4 10th, Lee is blocked out by a tree and is forced to play a low wedge shot from a gnarly lie.

Striking his second, it comes out fiery and runs over the green, leaving a pretty difficult chip coming back.

Koepka, who also finds the left rough, strikes his wedge shot and comes up short, with the ball landing incredibly softly despite being in a bad lie.

LEE BOGEYS, KOEPKA PARS

Faced with a slow chip up the hill, Lee's third grabs and comes up well short of the hole, leaving himself around eight-feet for the par save.

Taking the putter back, he pulls his attempt left and that is a poor bogey for the Australian, who falls back to 14-under alongside Kim.

Koepka, meanwhile, rolls in a comfortable two putt and remains 15-under, alongside Armitage in the lead. Speaking of the Englishman, he has just missed a mid-range birdie putt at the 11th. It was a good effort, but just stayed right.

BIRDIE CHANCES FOR BROOKS AND LEE

(Image credit: Getty Images)

Koepka once again finds the left rough off the tee at the 11th but, from 110 yards, he puts his wedge safely into the heart of the green, leaving a 15-foot putt for birdie.

Lee, who is looking to recover after the bogey at the 10th, pounds his tee shot miles down the fairway. Faced with 80 yards, his approach almost spins into the hole but, importantly, he leaves himself a six-footer to rejoin the leaders.

BIG MISS FROM LEE

Koepka leaves his 15-footer short at the 11th, with the five-time Major winner making a par to remain at 15-under.

Following his excellent approach, Lee has eight foot for birdie but, somehow, it stays straight and misses on the right side. It's a par for the 27-year-old, who remains one back.

SUPERB FROM ARMITAGE

Parring the par 3 12th, Armitage finds the fairway at the par 4 13th, albeit well back of the flag.

Faced with 225 yards, he strikes a pure long iron that finishes 18-feet from the hole, leaving a great chance of birdie. If he holes that, he will take the outright lead.

ELVIS SMYLIE MAKES A HUGE PAR SAVE

ANOTHER MISS LEFT FOR BROOKS

Koepka has a one-way miss going on today, with the American pulling his 3-wood off the tee at the par 4 13th. He finds the second cut and will have a long approach in to the green.

Up ahead, Armitage has a good chance to take the lead. Faced with an 18-footer for birdie, it stays left, though, finishing just past the hole. It's a par and he remains 15-under.

TROUBLE FOR THE LEADERS?

Koepka is faced with a tough second shot at the par 4 13th and, from 175 yards, he is unable to hook the ball around the trees.

Luckily, it finds the next tee box, so is on short grass, but it's a very tough pitch shot, given that Koepka is short-sided with a bunker.

Up ahead, Armitage's tee shot at the 14th goes right and he could be blocked out for his second. That swing was a lot more aggressive than the previous ones he has made today.

IMPRESSIVE FROM KOEPKA

Playing off the tee box, Koepka nips his pitch and it has an incredible amount of spin that flummoxes even Koepka.

Leaving 10-foot for par, Lee is up next and thins his chip from the back of the green, leaving a similar length putt to his playing partner.

In fact, the chip was that bad it's still him to go, with Lee's par putt then pushed right and leading to a bogey. It's Koepka's go now and, taking the putter back, he rolls it end-over-end into the center of the cup for a par. He stays in a share of the lead at 15-under.

SMYLIE WITHIN ONE

Elvis Smylie has been swinging it superbly today and, at the par 4 14th, which is ranked as the second hardest hole today, he plays a great second shot to eight-foot.

Sitting 13-under, the Australian then rolls in the birdie putt to get within one of the leaders, with Smylie now five-under for the day and 14-under for the tournament.

DROPPED SHOT FROM ARMITAGE

The Englishman gets lucky with his tee shot at the 14th, with it finding a nice lie in a tough clump of rough.

Faced with around 190 yards, Armitage then pulls his approach left and leaves himself a horrible up-and-down, which he fails to convert.

It's a second dropped shot for Armitage, who is now one back of Koepka, who has just parred the 14th himself following a great chip.

CRUCIAL UP-AND-DOWNS FOR BROOKS

LUCKY OR UNLUCKY?

Armitage finds the bunker with his second shot at the 15th and, with it against the lip, he has to stab it out.

It comes out fiery but, somehow, it clatters the flag and jumps out the hole, finishing inches away from dropping. I'd say that's more lucky than unlucky, especially as it would have finished off the green if it hadn't hit the flagstick.

NEAR MISS FROM SMYLIE

Another great approach from Smylie leaves him a good chance for birdie at the 14th; however, his putt from 20-foot stays right and just slides by. He remains 14-under, one back of Koepka, who is back in the fairway.

WOW, WHAT A PUTT FROM KO

Where has that come from? Home hero Ko has been struggling on the back nine but, at the par 5 16th, he rolls in a 25-footer for eagle to join Koepka in the lead!

That's not just huge in terms of his DP World Tour playing rights, but also the tournament, especially as Koepka is in trouble at the 14th after going long of the flag.

HOW CLOSE?

ALL CHANGE AT THE TOP

Well, well, well, Koepka takes a free drop but plays a poor chip that finishes on the fringe. Putting for par, his attempt is weak and it's a bogey for the American, who is now 14-under.

In terms of Lee, he plays a great shot into the 15th, with it leaving a short birdie. He taps in to get to 14-under, one back of Jeong Weon Ko who is the outright leader!

BIG BREAK FOR BROOKS

Playing the par 5 16th, Koepka goes right but, crucially, is short of the fairway bunker. He should be able to go for the green from there, with a birdie or eagle needed.

WHAT A MOMENT FOR KO

PAR AT THE 17TH FOR KO

Ko finds the fairway at the 17th and, following a solid approach, leaves himself around 15-feet for birdie. It's a great attempt, but it slides by the right side, leaving a tap-in par.

SMYLIE AND KIM JOIN THE LEAD

I said he was swinging it well and, at the par 5 16th, Smylie manages to hole a mid-range birdie putt to join Ko at 15-under-par.

Kim, meanwhile, gets greenside in two and, following an excellent chip, puts it to gimme range. He is now 15-under, with there now being a three way share of the lead.

KO FINDS THE GREEN AT THE 18TH

The last hole has been the toughest today and, at the 212 yard par 3, Ko finds the left edge of the short grass.

It's a long putt from there, but you feel a par will get him into a playoff at worst.

EXCELLENT FROM KIM

What a shot from Kim at the 17th, who takes his approach straight over the flag. That leaves him seven-feet for a birdie, which would take him into the outright lead.

PARS AT THE 16TH

That'll feel like a dropped shot for Lee and Koepka, who both produce poor chips at the par 5 16th.

Leaving 10-footers for birdies, they underread them and miss on the low side. Both Koepka and Lee remain 14-under, one back of the leaders.

KO SETS THE TARGET

(Image credit: Getty Images)

Finding the 18th green, Ko manages to two-putt from 51-feet for a closing par and a six-under 65. He sets the clubhouse target at 15-under. Will it be enough?

BIRDIE FOR KIM

He deserved that! Following an excellent shot at the 17th, Kim rolls his birdie putt into the center of the hole to get to 16-under-par.

Kim takes the outright lead and is one clear of Ko, who is finished, as well as playing partners Smylie and Armitage, with the latter birdieing the 17th to get within one.

18TH TEE SHOTS

(Image credit: Getty Images)

Kim needs to find the green at the par 3 last but, with his tee shot, he pulls it left into the greenside bunker. Thankfully, it hasn't plugged, leaving himself a long second.

Armitage, meanwhile, comes up well short, leaving a tough pitch, while Smylie finds the green, leaving a long birdie putt.

BIG DAY FOR THE HOME FAVORITE

KIM TAKES THE LEAD

MORE DRAMA AT THE 18TH

Armitage is up first and, from a poor lie, he almost duffs his chip, with it landing on the fringe and rolling into the water.

It's hard to watch, especially as it'll be burning cash and Race to Dubai points!

After watching his playing partner, Kim is up next and splashes his bunker shot out, leaving himself 16-feet for par.

WHAT A PAR FROM MICHAEL KIM

That is clutch from Michael Kim! Leaving a mid-range putt, the American sticks a dagger in Ko's heart as his par attempt trickles into the right side of the hole.

He remains ahead at 16-under, one stroke clear of Ko and Smylie, who narrowly missed his birdie attempt at the 18th.

You feel it's Kim's tournament now, which would be his first win since 2018, unless Koepka or Lee make a hole-in-one at the last...

HOW CLUTCH?!

MICHAEL KIM WINS THE FEDEX OPEN DE FRANCE TITLE

FINAL GROUP FINISHES UP

The final group have finished up and, with a par at the last, Guido Migliozzi finishes in a four-way tie for fifth at 13-under, with the Italian registering a strong result.

Koepka, meanwhile, gets up-and-down to stay solo fourth, while Lee fails to make par, with a closing bogey dropping him back into the share of fifth.

YOUR FEDEX OPEN DE FRANCE WINNER

(Image credit: Getty Images)
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