It’s time for the second of back-to-back events in France as the Road to Mallorca heads to Golf PGA France de Vaudreuil, situated just 225 miles from last week’s venue Golf Bluegreen de Pléneuf Val André. Here’s everything you need to know ahead of the Le Vaudreuil Golf Challenge...
The Course
The HotelPlanner Tour returns to Golf PGA France du Vaudreuil for the 13th edition of the Le Vaudreuil Golf Challenge. The course is situated 70 miles north of Paris, in between the river Seine and the Eure, one of its tributaries. The course itself is a relatively flat parkland layout, measuring almost exactly 7,000 yards, and presenting a stern test for the players, with several water features and thick rough ready to punish any errant tee shots. Golf de Vaudreuil also has one of the most unique clubhouses of the year, a converted 17th century barn with a classic thatched roof.
Illustrious Past Winners
There is no shortage of notable winners at Le Vaudreuil Golf Challenge, with 2026 PGA Championship winner Aaron Rai having won the 2017 version of the event by five shots to secure his third win of the season and earn promotion to the DP World Tour. Prior to that, current World number 54 Ryan Fox won in 2015, with Andrew ‘Beef’ Johnston winning the year before that. Other notable winners include DP World Tour victors Alexander Björk, Richard McEvoy and Darren Fichardt. Interestingly, there has never been a French winner in the 13 editions of the event, a duck that the home faithful will be looking to break this week.
Dramatic Finishes
Drama is almost a guarantee at the second stop in France of the year, with play-offs seemingly needed more often than not. Extra holes have been required in three of the last four years, with Nathan Kimsey winning via a play-off in 2022, before Joel Moscatel in 2024 and David Horsey in 2025 also won beyond regulation play. Horsey’s win came in a four-for-one play-off, the Englishman making a birdie two on the first additional hole to win. With five of 12 events going beyond regulation play already this year, don’t be surprised if it happens again this week.
Road to Mallorca
This is the 14th event out of 29 on this season’s Road to Mallorca, with this week and next marking the halfway stage in the year. MJ Daffue, the only current multiple winner this season, remains the clear leader in the Rankings, with 874.10 points and over 90 more than anybody else. The South African knows a third win would gain him immediate promotion to the DP World Tour, but has a points total that would have seen him already finishing in the top 15 last season and earning a DP World Tour card. That mark last year was 825 points, which Pablo Ereno, Maxence Giboudot, Will Enefer and Ryan Van Velzen, who sit second to fifth in the Rankings, would pass with another win and the 320 points that earns. But there are plenty of points to play for as the back nine of the Road to Mallorca is reached.
