2003 Open de France (Le Golf National,Paris)
1. Philip Golding ENG -15 66-70-68-69 = 273 E416,660.00
2. David Howell ENG -14 71-65-69-69 = 274 E277,770.00
3. Justin Rose ENG -13 68-69-73-65 = 275 E140,750.00
Peter O'Malley AUS -13 70-69-66-70 = 275 E140,750.00
5. Andrew Oldcorn SCO -12 69-70-69-68 = 276 E89,500.00
Brian Davis ENG -12 68-72-68-68 = 276 E89,500.00
Simon Wakefield ENG -12 70-70-70-68 = 276 E89,500.00
8. Barry Lane ENG -11 70-68-67-72 = 277 E53,625.00
Pierre Fulke SWE -11 70-68-67-72 = 277 E53,625.00
Bradley Dredge WAL -11 67-72-70-68 = 277 E53,625.00
Stephen Gallagher SCO -11 68-69-69-71 = 277 E54,625.00
12.Jose Maria Olazabal ESP -10 70-68-69-71 = 278 E40,500.00
Raphael Jacquelin FRA -10 70-68-68-72 = 278 E40,500.00
Thomas Bjorn DEN -10 70-64-71-73 = 278 E40,500.00
15.Robert-Jan Derkson HOL -9 68-74-66-71 = 279 E35,250.00
Stephen Leaney AUS -9 70-70-71-68 = 279 E35,250.00
Matthew Blackey ENG -9 71-71-68-69 = 279 E35,250.00
Golding was born in Luton, Bedfordshire. He was a promising cricketer
who played for Middlesex Colts before he took up golf at the age of 17.
He turned professional in 1981, becoming an assistant at his local golf club.
Golding has been a regular fixture at the European Tour's qualifying school,
where in 2007 he stretched his record to 18 appearances. He has often won
a tour card, but up to the age of forty he had never done well enough on the
Tour to retain his card automatically.
In 2003 Golding won the Open de France, one of Europe's most prestigious events,
on his 201st tour start. His prize of €416,660 was more than twice as much as
he had ever won in a complete season before that year, and he went on to finish
the season in a career best 32nd place on the Order of Merit. After falling away
again in 2004 he had a solid season in 2005, with a pair of top ten finishes,
but he has struggled since, returning to qualifying school again in 2006 and 2007.
In 2008, he was again unable to retain his place on the elite tour, and dropped
back down to the second tier Challenge