Cameron Smith, Bud Cauley Among Open de France Cut Misses
By Staff Writer
3 min read
The 36-hole cut at the DP World Tour's Open de France fell at 3-under par Friday at Le Golf National outside Paris, eliminating a cluster of the field's most recognizable names, led by 2022 Open champion Cameron Smith.
Who leads after 36 holes?
Matt Fitzpatrick holds the lead heading into the weekend, with Viktor Hovland, Ludvig Aberg and 2024 Open de France winner Tommy Fleetwood among those who advanced comfortably. The event follows the BMW PGA Championship on the DP World Tour calendar and has previously been won by Seve Ballesteros, Nick Faldo, Colin Montgomerie, Bernhard Langer and Graeme McDowell.
Which major winners and LIV players missed out?
Smith finished at 2-over after two double bogeys in his last three holes, including approach shots that found the water at the par-4 18th on both days. He has not won on the DP World Tour since the 2022 Australian PGA Championship. Fellow LIV Golf member Carlos Ortiz, a 10-time professional winner still chasing his first DP World Tour title, was one-under with two holes to play Friday before closing with back-to-back bogeys to finish at 1-over.
Elvis Smylie, who beat Jon Rahm for a LIV Golf title in Riyadh in February, missed by nine shots at 6-over. Manuel Elvira, the runner-up at last month's BMW PGA Championship after an 18th-hole collapse handed the title to JJ Spaun, opened with a 9-over 80 and finished 12-over.
Who fell just short of the weekend?
Three players missed by a single shot at 2-under. Bud Cauley, who won his maiden PGA Tour title in June at the RBC Canadian Open in his 239th start, could not add a national open to his resume in France. Victor Perez, a three-time DP World Tour winner playing in his home country, made a hole-in-one but also three triple bogeys, the last of which erased his cushion. Shaun Norris, working toward a top-10 finish in the Race to Dubai standings, opened with a 69 but followed it with a 71.
Paul Waring, the 2024 Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship winner, shot 72-70 to finish even par, three shots outside the line, despite recent top-25 finishes at the Irish Open and BMW PGA Championship.
A 3-under cut line proved unforgiving for a major champion and two LIV Golf winners alike.
| Player | Score | Missed cut by |
|---|---|---|
| Cameron Smith | +2 | 5 |
| Manuel Elvira | +12 | 15 |
| Elvis Smylie | +6 | 9 |
| Carlos Ortiz | +1 | 4 |
| Paul Waring | E | 3 |
| Bud Cauley | -2 | 1 |
| Victor Perez | -2 | 1 |
| Shaun Norris | -2 | 1 |
Key takeaways
- The 36-hole cut at the Open de France fell at 3-under par at Le Golf National.
- Matt Fitzpatrick leads through 36 holes, with Viktor Hovland, Ludvig Aberg and Tommy Fleetwood also through.
- 2022 Open champion Cameron Smith missed the cut at 2-over after finding water at the 18th on both days.
- Bud Cauley, Victor Perez and Shaun Norris each missed by a single shot at 2-under.
- Elvis Smylie, a February LIV Golf winner over Jon Rahm, missed by nine shots at 6-over.
Frequently asked questions
What was the cut line at the 2026 Open de France?
The 36-hole cut fell at 3-under par at Le Golf National.
Who is leading the Open de France after 36 holes?
Matt Fitzpatrick leads, with Viktor Hovland, Ludvig Aberg and Tommy Fleetwood also inside the cut.
When did Cameron Smith last win on the DP World Tour?
Smith's last DP World Tour title came at the 2022 Australian PGA Championship.
When did Bud Cauley win his first PGA Tour title?
Cauley won the RBC Canadian Open in June in his 239th career PGA Tour start.
- open de france
- cameron smith
- bud cauley
- dp world tour
- le golf national
- elvis smylie
- matt fitzpatrick
