Staff WriterMarcus Armitage is still the man to catch at the 2025 FedEx Open de France, where the burly Englishman muscled his way to a two-shot lead at ten under par after round two at Golf de Saint-Nom-La-Bretèche.
The 38-year-old, nicknamed the “Bullet,” fired a gritty 68 that wasn’t so much pretty golf as it was sheer survival. Yet it was enough to keep him ahead of Australia’s Min Woo Lee and Denmark’s Jeff Winther, who share second place on eight under.
Local favourite Adrien Saddier, still buzzing after his play-off loss to Alex Noren at the BMW PGA Championship last week, sits among a group on six under and within striking distance.
“It was a little bit of a battle today. For some reason my irons were just going miles. That bit of gym work I’ve started doing this week, it’s paying off already,” Armitage admitted, sounding as surprised as anyone that his new routine had him hitting moon shots.
“The ball was going a mile today, so I struggled with that a little bit. But all in all, kept my nose in front, and hopefully we can keep going over the weekend.”
Winther’s Fever and Fire
If Armitage had to wrestle his irons, Jeff Winther was wrestling his immune system. The Dane produced the round of the day with a sizzling 63—nine birdies, one bogey—despite feeling like he should be horizontal with a hot water bottle.
“It was about survival today. I think I’ve got a slight fever and very snotty. I need to go see the doc, I think. But beware of the ill golfer, they say,” Winther said. With putts dropping from 15 to 25 feet and drives splitting fairways, he looked less flu-ridden and more like a man on a mission.
Lee Keeps It Simple
Min Woo Lee, who rarely misses a chance to mix style with substance, kept it tidy with a 68 of his own. No fireworks, but no disasters either.
“Nothing spectacular, but you know, it was just solid golf, which was nice. When I had to hit some shots, I could, but I didn’t hit anything spectacular. That’s the reason why I didn’t go too low,” Lee explained.
The Australian even had a pocket of fans waving chef hats—yes, chef hats—in the French sun. “It’s great. I thank my fans… there weren’t too many people, but there were two chef hats, which meant a lot.”
Saddier’s Slice of Luck
For the French, Saddier is the toast of the week. A bogey-free 66 kept him in the mix, and while he admitted fortune played its part, his finish was all class.
“It was really good. I was quite lucky on the front nine to be honest. I got a really lucky bounce on 14 and chip-in on 15,” Saddier said. “It was nice to get some luck, and I played solid on the back nine. And finished with two birdies to make a charge, so pretty good.”
He shares fourth with Swedes Jens Dantorp and Mikael Lindberg, France’s Jeong weon Ko, and Italy’s Gregorio De Leo.
Koepka and the Eagles for Good
Lurking not too far back is Brooks Koepka, the five-time major winner, part of a logjam at five under. He’s close enough to make a weekend move, and history suggests he might just enjoy spoiling the party.
Meanwhile, the FedEx Open de France’s “Eagles for Good” campaign continued to thrive. Eleven more eagles were posted, including a hole-in-one from Ko, planting another 275 trees through FedEx and the Arbor Day Foundation.
The tally after two rounds: 600 new trees. Not bad for a couple of days’ hacking at a little white ball.
The Weekend Awaits
Armitage summed it up best: “Everyone’s great on the good days, it’s the bad days like that, if you can still shoot a score and keep yourself in it, then you just wait for the good days over the weekend.”
The Englishman may be smiling now, but with Winther sniffling fire, Lee steady as a metronome, and Saddier feeding off home support, the stage is set for a weekend that promises less croissant and more crunch at the FedEx Open de France.
