Five-time major winner Brooks Koepka, in the final group with Lee, was everyone's tip to be the main US threat in Sunday's (Monday AEST) denouement at the Golf de Saint-Nom-La-Breteche course -- but instead it was unsung Michael Kim who won the day with the most spectacular finish.
Earning his first victory in over seven years, Kim made back-to-back birdies at the 16th and 17th to move into the outright lead with just a hole remaining, before getting up-and-down from a bunker and holing a 16-foot par putt to seal a one-shot win.
"Does it come anymore clutch than that!" — DP World Tour (@DPWorldTour) September 21, 2025A dramatic final hole for Michael Kim 💪 #FedExOpenDeFrance pic.twitter.com/uYhXBJP3D3
It meant deflation for Smylie, who was in the clubhouse waiting on 15 under, just a shot off the lead, alongside French hope Jeong-weon Ko, with the prospect of a playoff on the cards for the pair until Kim's decisive clutch putt completed his winning round of 65.
One behind Smylie and Ko came Koepka, who'd started out as favourite in the final group alongside co-leader Lee -- and for a while, the pair looked as if they might turn it into a spectacular final-round shootout as they both birdied the fifth and seventh holes before delivering a pair of tantalising eagles at the long eighth.
Yet they both went off the boil over the final stretch, with Lee's bogeys at the 10th and 13th effectively ruining his push.Â
The Perth star bogeyed the last to finish anti-climactically with a 69 and a 13-under total, ending up joint-fifth alongside Norway's Kristoffer Reitan, who had the day's best round of 64, Italian Guido Migliozzi and England's Marcus Armitage.Â
It was Lee's best finish since he won his first PGA event at the Houston Open in March, but though he'd been in the thick of the hunt all week, he still never really looked quite at his sparkling best and was found wanting on the home stretch.
Smylie is now one shot back from the leader, Brooks Koepka!#FedExOpenDeFrance https://t.co/ZfGzSG9rzg pic.twitter.com/brYpcsAmPN— DP World Tour (@DPWorldTour) September 21, 2025
Instead, it looked as if Smylie might turn out to be the Australian to snatch glory, as he delivered an immaculate bogey-free, six-under round of 65, with four of his six birdies coming in the first eight holes.
It was the best performance on the European tour for the young left-hander, son of four-time grand slam doubles champ Liz Smylie, since he lifted the Australian PGA at Royal Queensland last November.
It also pushed him up to 14th in the European tour's Race to Dubai order of merit, which is being led by Rory McIlroy.
But though the home crowd were enthused by the charge of Ko, who like Smylie and Kim closed with a brilliant 65, it was to be the American's day as he made six birdies to clinch his first title since the 2018 John Deere Classic on the PGA Tour.
"I'm just so happy and grateful that I was able to come out with the victory," enthused the 32-year-old Korean-born Kim.
"I've had a really good year on the PGA Tour this year. This feels like the perfect cherry on top and I hope to continue this throughout my career."
