Golf is child’s play for Goosen as he puts thoughts of baby to bed
Goosen has yet to win a tournament so far this season and is resigned to losing his status as European number one after two years.
But the South African is on track to maintain his record of at least one victory a year since 1999, after a first-round 63 gave him a one-shot lead over Swede Mikael Lundberg at St Nom-la-Breteche on the outskirts of the French capital.
"I've been pretty consistent with a lot of top 10s and played well in America, but Europe has been disappointing, I've not played well enough in the big tournaments," admitted Goosen, who is 19th in the Order of Merit, more than a million pounds behind compatriot Ernie Els.
"But, it's been a great year with the birth of Leo, our first child six months ago, and my mind has been somewhere else," he explained.
Three of Goosen's eight European Tour victories have come in France "it must be the red wine" including this title in 2000 and a runner-up finish the following year, but the 34th edition of the tournament will be the last.
"I don't know what it is about this course, the first few times I played it pretty badly and never did anything," said Goosen, the 2001 US Open champion. "But since 2000 I've started to see the shots better around the course and really had some success.
"I don't know what will happen next year, whether it will still be held here or if there will be a new sponsor, but Barry Lane tells me there are a few other good courses around Paris."
Goosen carded eight birdies and an eagle and would have equalled the course record of 62 but for his second bogey of the day on the ninth, his final hole, when his ball spun sideways off the green into a bunker.
"I had no idea about the course record, but I wanted to shoot the lowest score I could and it was a shame about the last," said Goosen.
"It was close to being a silly pin position, because it all slopes away from the hole and Padraig (Harrington) hit a really good shot right over the pin and also ended up in the bunker.
"But overall I am very happy with the round, it's a good start to the week and hopefully I can build on that."
Ryder Cup hero Paul McGinley was a shot further back on five under alongside two players who recorded holes-in-one.
Spain's Carlos Rodiles aced the 148-yard seventh with an eight-iron to win an 850 scooter, while the unfortunate Terry Price holed out from 193 yards with a four-iron on the 12th just 15 minutes later to miss out on the prize.
Harrington, another player getting used to fatherhood after the birth of his son Patrick three weeks ago, carded a three-under 68, the same score as Colin Montgomerie, the Scot bogeying the last after finding water off the tee on the closing par three.
"I don't know what happened there," said a bemused Montgomerie. "I don't think I've been in the water there in all the years I've been coming here, I normally go left and went right today."
Montgomerie has reverted to the Callaway irons he used to win the majority of his seven Order of Merit titles, despite expecting Callaway to cancel his multi-million pound contract with suppliers Hogan.
The 40-year-old switched from Callaway to Hogan in a lucrative long-term deal at the end of last year, only to see Callaway buy Hogan last week.
"It's up in the air and in the hands of the lawyers," said Montgomerie, who is still using the Hogan ball, as that was the main reason behind the switch.
"I don't know what is going to happen. But it could be a golden opportunity for me to do what I want to do.
"Most professionals would love to play the clubs they want rather than the ones they have to," he said.
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