Field in Focus: at the Alstom Open de France

<strong>By Will Pearson, europeantour.com<br />
at Le Golf National</strong>

<em>Ahead of this week’s Alstom Open de France, <strong>europeantour.com</strong> takes a closer look at the field assembled at Le Golf National for the continent’s oldest National Open Championship…</em>

<strong>In the field, there are:</strong>

<strong>156 players from 26 different countries</strong>

<strong>78 European Tour champions</strong>

<strong>3 former European Number Ones<br />
</strong>Martin Kaymer (2010)<br />Robert Karlsson (2008)<br />Padraig Harrington (2006)

<strong>9 of the top 50 in the Official World Golf Ranking<br />
</strong>Martin Kaymer (12)<br />Graeme McDowell (20)<br />Victor Dubuisson (22)<br />Thomas Bjorn (23)<br />Jamie Donaldson (30)<br />Stephen Gallacher (37)<br />Thongchai Jaidee (39)<br />Francesco Molinari (43)<br />Joost Luiten (44)

<strong>1 former World Number One<br />
</strong>Martin Kaymer

<strong>4 Major Champions with 8 victories between them<br />
</strong>Padraig Harrington (3)<br />Jose Maria Olazabal, Martin Kaymer (2 each)<br />Graeme McDowell (1)

<strong>2 WGC winners with 2 WGC titles                           <br />
</strong>Martin Kaymer<strong><br />
</strong>Francesco Molinari

<strong>7 Open de France winners with 7 victories between them<br />
</strong>Graeme McDowell (2013)<br />Marcel Siem (2012)<br />Thomas Levet (2011)<br />Martin Kaymer (2009)<br />Pablo Larrazabal (2008)<br />Graeme Storm (2007)<br />Jose Maria Olazabal (2001)

<strong>2 European Ryder Cup Captains<br />
</strong>Jose Maria Olazabal (2012)<br />Paul McGinley (2014)

<strong>13 Ryder Cup players</strong>

<strong>15 of the 2014 European Tour winners competing                            </strong>

<strong>3 former US Amateur Champions competing      <br />
</strong>Edoardo Molinari (2005)<strong><br />
</strong>Richie Ramsay (2006)<strong><br />
</strong>Matthew Fitzpatrick (2013)