Levet off to poor start in Open de France

Former champion Thomas Levet today suffered a nightmare start to his first round as the Alstom Open de France got under way in Paris.

Levet, who broke his leg when celebrating his win at Le Golf National in 2011 by jumping into a lake, was among the early starters and soon near the bottom of the leaderboard when he ran up a nine on the par-four 13th.

Having started from the 10th with two bogeys and a birdie, Levet then hit three balls into the water on the 13th to card a quintuple bogey and drop to six over.

The 44-year-old did at least steady the ship with pars at the next two holes and a birdie on the 16th, and he was not alone in running up some big numbers on the course which will host the 2018 Ryder Cup.

England’s Andy Sullivan had carded a nine on the 12th to be six over after four holes, but Dane Thorbjorn Olesen was propping up the field on seven over after a triple bogey, double bogey, three bogeys and a birdie in his first eight holes.

Compatriot Anders Hansen was one of nine players sharing the early lead on two under par, with England’s Luke Donald a shot behind after a birdie on the 10th - his opening hole – was followed by six pars.