Matt Fitzpatrick pulls away for a 5-shot lead in the French Open

PARIS (AP) — Matt Fitzpatrick surged ahead with a 6-under 65 on Saturday to take a five-shot lead in the French Open, aiming for his fourth title of the year. Tom Vaillant of France, a two-time winner on the Alps Tour, was in second place after a 67, joining Fitzpatrick in the final group for the tournament's closing round before a Parisian audience.

Fitzpatrick started strongly with a seven-foot birdie putt on the first hole, birdieing the par-5 third and hitting a wedge to four feet on the sixth. He only dropped one shot and birdied the 18th to finish three rounds at 19-under 194. "I feel like I'm in a position that if I go and shoot a good round tomorrow, then obviously it makes it almost impossible to catch," Fitzpatrick said.

"But long way to go, and just take it hole by hole." Fitzpatrick has previously won the Valspar Championship and the RBC Heritage on the PGA Tour, and teamed with his younger brother Alex to victory at the Zurich Classic of New Orleans. However, he was disappointed with his missed cut in the British Open and subpar play during the PGA Tour's postseason.

Spain's Eugenio Chacarra, the top-ranked player in the Race to Dubai, shot a 62 and tied for third with five others. Defending champion Michael Kim made a double bogey on the final hole to drop seven shots behind. Vaillant, who has only three top 10 finishes in his three years on the European tour, praised the enthusiastic crowd.

"It's amazing. Whatever happens tomorrow, it's something I will never forget — the final group here in the French Open," Vaillant said. "So I’ll just try to enjoy it, and we’ll see what happens. But the main thing is enjoying tomorrow."