After Two Years Away From The Game, Victor Dubuisson Claims Victory In His Home Country

Victor Dubuisson... remember him? Of course you do. He's the man with the floppy hair and swashbuckling style of golf that made him a fan favorite not that long ago.

But then he retired and walked away from the game at just 33 years old, to pursue other goals. The Frenchman didn't think tour golf was all it was cracked up to be - so he called it a day.

However, he's just resurfaced on the Alps Tour - and he's back in the winner's circle.

The man from Cannes posted rounds of 62, 65 and 61 to win the Biarritz Cup at Golf de Biarritz on the second playoff hole.

It was the 35-year-old's first Official World Golf Ranking event in two years, and proof that the former Ryder Cupper hasn't lost any of the talent that saw him climb to a career high of 15 in the world back in 2015.

Dubuisson won two Turkish Airlines Open titles on the DP World Tour, the first in 2013, when he held off Tiger Woods on the final day, and the second two years later.

In between those two victories, he helped Team Europe to Ryder Cup glory over the United States at Gleneagles, where he went 2-0-1.

According to French newspaper L’Equipe, however, Dubuisson wasn't particularly happy playing professional golf, and he cited his lonely lifestyle as one of the main reasons for quitting in 2023.

"The solitude had become extremely heavy,” he said. "I started from nothing, so I’m extremely satisfied with what I’ve done. I see myself as a little kid with my little bag and my Decathlon clubs.

"I spent 15 years alone on the Tour, curled up on myself. I missed contact with people. So it’s just simple human relationships around golf that I want to have."

In 2023, his last year on the DP World Tour, he made just two cuts from the eight tournaments that he played, making approximately $8,500.

These days, if you want to check in on the likeable pro to see how he's getting along, it's not leaderboards where you'll normally find him.

Dubuisson's happy place is Golf Costa Adeje in Tenerife. He's posted a couple of pictures on social media from the course where his coaches, although it's not surprising to see so few updates.

Despite still being that person who prefers to be out of the limelight, Dubuisson's love for the game is also obvious, and not just because he's now a passionate coach.

His recent victory in his homeland will undoubtedly lead to speculation about whether he could come out of retirement.

In fact, only last year, he looked to be gearing up for a crack at LIV Golf qualification, before he changed his mind and called time on his playing career.

Clearly he still has an itch that needs to be scratched.