World No. 4 Matt Fitzpatrick has put daylight into a distant second place as he heads for a FedEx Open de France VIP delivery.
Fitzpatrick posted a rock solid third round 65 that carried him five shots clear to 19 under par on the host Le National course on the outskirts of Versailles.
The Englishman is headed not only a 14th individual pro career success but also a third lone triumph this year after a pair of ‘Ws’ on the PGA Tour. (Yes, the Fitzgerald teamed earlier this year to capture the Zurich Classic of New Orleans)
‘Fitz’ capped golf’s moving day with seven birdies more than offset the Englishman’s first bogey of the week as he led by five strokes from French star Tom Vaillant, who enjoyed loud support from the locals.
A VIP DELIVERY AWAITING @MattFitz94 LAST ROUND #FedExOpenDeFrance …
As @OWGRltd No. 4⃣ puts daylight in a distant second place as he heads for a third ‘individual’ this year
“I’m in a position that if I go and shoot a good round tomorrow, then obviously it makes it almost… pic.twitter.com/f0l06wTATB
— Fatiha (@TOURMISS) September 26, 2026
Fitzpatrick said: “I feel like I’m in a position that if I go and shoot a good round tomorrow, then obviously it makes it almost impossible to catch. But long way to go, and just take it hole by hole.”
The Open de France is continental Europe’s longest-established D
P World Tour event and Fitzpatrick, who matched Seve Ballesteros in 1985 for the tournament’s lowest 54-hole total, added: “It would be amazing to be part of the history. I said at the start of the week, this tournament has a lot of history and a lot of great winners.
“I think it was my second professional start as well. So, you know, some form of connection here as well.”
Vaillant posted a 67 to nudge ahead of a large group at 13 under – including Eugenio Chacarra, whose 62 was the lowest round of the week, and Brandon Stone who shot 63.
Nine players had still to complete their second rounds when play was suspended on Friday and Scotland’s Daniel Young made the best of the resumption – a birdie at the ninth, his final hole, saw him make the cut exactly on the three-under-par line.
South Africa’s Stone made a flying start to Moving Day with four birdies in his first five holes to reach nine under, while Englishman Sam Bairstow birdied his first three to join him four off Fitzpatrick’s overnight lead.
