Thursday 2 July 2015 22:19, UK
Victor Dubuisson gave his home fans plenty to cheer as he shared the clubhouse lead after a weather-hit opening day of the Alstom Open de France at Le Golf National.
Thunderstorms arrived just moments before the tournament was scheduled to get under way and delayed the start by 30 minutes, but play was suspended again less than an hour later due to the threat of further lightning.
The players finally returned to the course two hours later, and the overall delay meant that 42 of the afternoon starters were unable to complete their rounds before another thunderstorm saw play abandoned for the day.
Defending champion Graeme McDowell was among the unfinished rounds as the two-time winner was one over with just one hole to play, while in-form German Max Kieffer held the lead on the course at four under par with four holes remaining.
Bernd Wiesberger set the early clubhouse target at three under after he carded four birdies in his first 14 holes before dropping his only shot of the day on the par-three eighth - his 17th - when he three-putted from long range.
"I played okay," Wiesberger told Sky Sports 4 after signing for a 68. "I was not driving it great early on and was scrambling round. I had a couple of four or five footers for par but the chances I had I took nicely.
"I had just those two hiccups with the three-putt and not getting up and down from beside the ninth green for birdie, but in general, with the conditions being pretty windy, I was quite happy with that. Except for Wentworth where I played terribly, I like the courses where you are challenged a bit more and are not shooting 15, 16 or 17 under par to win."
Victor stays calm
Dubuisson also started at the 10th and had been one over par after five holes, but he birdied the 18th after his approach cleared the water in front of the green by just a few feet and he also picked up shots on the third, fifth and seventh.
The Ryder Cup star, who stamped on his clubs in frustration after a closing 73 in the BMW International on Sunday, almost found water with his tee shot on the ninth but scrambled a par to the delight of the home crowds.
"I made a really unlucky bogey on 14 with three good shots and then had the three most difficult holes coming in 15, 16 and 18 but managed to stay calm and make a really good birdie on 18," Dubuisson said.
"It can turn really bad on this course and what I did today was very good. To shoot three under with all this pressure I am very pleased. I feel the pressure and expectation from the crowds because I want to do well for them here more than any other tournament."
Jaco Van Zyl also handed in a 68. while Germany's Martin Kaymer, who missed the cut in the defence of his US Open title at Chambers Bay and also made an early exit in Munich, was a shot off the clubhouse lead after three birdies and one bogey in his 69.
McDowell successfully defended a title for the first time in his career 12 months ago and would become the first player since Marcel Dallemagne in 1938 to win the French Open three times in succession with another victory on Sunday.
The former US Open champion would also become just the sixth player to claim a hat-trick of European Tour titles in the same event and battled back from three over par after 10 holes with birdies on the 15th and 17th.
