Open de France

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Jamie Donaldson to beat Victor Dubuisson - 8 points @ 10-11 (General)

Thongchai Jaidee to beat Victor Dubuisson - 4 points @ Evens (Corals)

Another payout before the cut last week and a shame that the Challenge Tour is letting the overall figures down!

I'm in trouble if the reserved Frenchman wins this week but on recent form Dubuisson needs treating with kid gloves. Having returned from injury with a closing 2nd in Sweden, he looked to be doing much better at Pinehurst than his final position of 28th but fell away as the going got tougher and he was all over the shop in Germany last week, an event that should have suited his game, with soft greens and target golf. He was unimpressive in most aspects, looking non-plussed with various scrambling efforts and returning a GIR figure way lower than his usual high standard. Of course, Dubuisson may well be inspired by the flight home but he had a couple of poor rounds in the middle of last years event, eventually placing 18th and he simply looks below the form required here.

Whatever the home player does, I fully expect Donaldson to finish above him. The Welshman looks ready to strike after last weeks 5th place, just one shot shy of a play-off and after just one dropped shot in his final three roounds. The way he came through the field from halfway will give him much confidence coming here, a venue that requires a sharp approach game to succeed. Let down by a final round 76 at Wentworth, he is far better judged on some very decent PGA form on tough tracks - 2nd at Doral, 14th at Augusta and whilst he didn't make the weekend at Pinehurst, much of that was down to a mix-up and playing the wrong ball during his second round 81 disguising an excellent opening 70. Top-10 here in 2013, he has super form at this time of year, has been well backed to improve on that and looks to have far fewer negatives against him than his oppo. As far as head-to-heads go, Donaldson leads in 3 out their last 4 events.

Experienced Thongchai Jaidee is another in great form. Quite superb in victory in Sweden after a weekend 68/65, he repeated that final two rounds when tying for 5th last week (aside Donaldson). When the Thai is in form, he keeps it going for a while and whilst he missed the cut here last season, he can boast a steady set of finishes around here. The recent three events in Ireland, Germany and here often find players repeating decent formlines and here Jaidee's iron play is in top form ranking 33rd at the very worst in recent events. Scrambling and putting stats are improving recently and of huge interest are the head-to-head records - Jaidee has finished ahead of Dubuisson in 5 from 6 and 6 from 8 of their recent events.