Ukrainian 16-year-old amateur Lev Grinberg one off the lead at French Open

The first page of the leaderboard of the French Open had an eye-catching name alongside more familiar ones like Justin Rose, Thorbjorn Olesen and Nicolai Hojgaard, that of Ukrainian amateur Lev Grinberg.
Grinberg shot a five-under-par 66 on day one, making six birdies around Le Golf National, which recently hosted the Olympic Games, to lie one shot off the lead.
With Ukraine not exactly a golfing stronghold, Grinberg has been a trailblazer for eastern European golf, becoming the second youngest player to make the cut on the DP World Tour when he made the cut at the Soudal Open two years ago.
Invited to the tournament by the French Federation of Golf, the unusual sight of a Ukraine flag on a golf leaderboard may not last forever. Now living in France, he told L’Équipe of his intention to represent France in international amateur tournaments, should he get his nationality sorted.
Grinberg started hitting balls in Ukraine at six years old on a nine-hole course in Kozyn, 25 kilometres outside Kyiv, saying from then he knew what he wanted to do in life and by nine years old he was playing in competitions.
Golf in Ukraine is rare in a country where soccer and boxing are kings, and the sport is only played by a few thousand people. There are only two public courses in the country.
Grinberg thus left Ukraine at 11 years old to train and play in Belgium in better golfing conditions as he chased his dream. Last year he joined the French federation, which he called the best decision of his life.
“Golf is my life. I go in the morning, I will train with a goal, to become champion,” he said in L’Équipe. “I want to go on tour, win all four majors and become world number one.”
Grinberg speaks five languages – Ukrainian, Russian, German, English and Flemish – and is learning another in French. He says Rory McIlroy is one of his main golfing heroes.
His grandfather is in Kyiv and he gives him news of his latest golf exploits. Many of his relatives have left, but friends are still there.
“I hope to go back after the war. I hope for the end. I try to stay focused on my game.”
His game is exceptionally sharp evidenced by the first round at Le Golf National. Grinberg is looking to go to the University of Arkansas in 2026 to prepare for the PGA Tour, but if he could pull off the unlikely this week, he may need to reconsider and turbo charge his future plans.
England’s Joe Dean, Olesen and Jesper Svensson lead the tournament on six under. Tom McKibbin had a solid start with a two-under-par 69, four shots off the lead.
Also four shots off the opening lead is Leona Maguire on the LPGA Tour, at the Buick LPGA Shanghai event in China. Maguire had seven birdies and one bogey on a low-scoring day to shoot a six-under 66, four shots behind the high-flying Sei Young Kim, who shot a 10-under 62. Céline Boutier is two strokes behind on eight under.