Who Is Tom Vaillant? The Frenchman Chasing A Maiden DP World Tour Win
From an Alps Tour amateur to the frame of Sunday's leaderboard at the Open de France, here is what to know about Tom Vaillant as he chases his first DP World Tour title, according to Golf Monthly.
Tom Vaillant heads into the final round of the 2026 Open de France sitting second, one place behind leader Matt Fitzpatrick, as he bids for a maiden DP World Tour title at Le Golf National.
The 24-year-old from Cannes has climbed the professional ladder quickly since stepping away from the amateur game, and Golf Monthly has set out ten details on his career and background.
Vaillant was born on 14 December 2001 and enjoyed a productive amateur spell that included a title-winning run with the team that lifted the 2019 European Boys' Team Championship. He also spent a short period studying and playing golf at Arkansas State University in 2020.
His move towards the paid ranks began on the Alps Tour, which he joined as an amateur in 2021. A year later he collected a pair of victories on that circuit before formally turning professional.
Those wins came at the Open de la Mirabelle d'Or, settled in a play-off at 14 under par, and the Aravell Golf Open, which he took by six shots at 22 under, both achieved while he still held amateur status.
Professional status brought Challenge Tour recognition for 2023, and Vaillant made an immediate impression by finishing tied for third on his debut appearance in that category, at the Nelson Mandela Bay Championship.
He spent only that single season competing on the Challenge Tour before graduating, but doing so required a nerve-jangling finish. Vaillant needed at least a top-three result at the Challenge Tour Grand Final to claim a DP World Tour card, and duly finished runner-up to book his place.
2023 also brought his first title as a professional, the Championnat de France Professionnel on the French Tour, which he won by a single shot at eight under par.
Away from competitive golf, Vaillant follows football and basketball and plays the racket sport padel. He is also said to be a keen participant in SkyJo, the numbers-based card game.
His coach is Jean-François Lucquin, a former professional who beat Rory McIlroy in a play-off at the 2008 European Masters.
Vaillant now stands 1.75m tall in the professional record books with three wins to his name across the amateur and paid ranks, and a real chance on Sunday of adding a first senior DP World Tour title to that list at Le Golf National.