Julien Sale tees it up at this week’s Blot Play9 hoping a newfound approach will bring him success on home soil, after a disappointing outing 12 months ago in Pléneuf.
The Frenchman missed the cut at Golf Bluegreen de Pléneuf Val André last year but arrives in Bretagne having made four of his last five cuts on the Road to Mallorca, with his best finish coming at the DP World PGTI Open in March.
Having struggled in testing conditions at the 2025 edition of the Blot Play9, Sale is looking to deploy a more conservative approach this time around.
“I’m feeling good,” he said. “Being back in France is always great and this week we have great weather and a really nice view so it’s going to be a good setting.
“Last year was not so good here for me. I know that can happen on this course, so I will try and play a little bit more conservative and try and be in position and see what happens.
“The course is really nice, the vibe is really good and it’s going to be a good test as the course is going to get harder the more the week goes on. It’s going to be playing a bit like a links, so you have to keep the ball on the fairway and hit as many greens as possible.”
Sale finished 40th on the season-long Rankings last year, marking his best campaign to date. However, despite making the weekend on six of nine occasions to date in 2026, the 28-year-old sits 74th on the Rankings and looking to kickstart his promotion push.
Although he’s consistently seeing weekend golf of late, Sale believes it's time to translate his good play into more eye-catching results.
“This year I haven’t had the best results,” he added. “I’ve been playing really well but I haven’t managed to get the top ten and top five finishes that I think I could be getting but my game is there and I have got to keep trusting the work I am doing with my staff, and I know it will work out.
“I think I need to be a bit more patient, sometimes I want the result to come too quick, and this course setup is going to allow me to be more patient this week.”
Blot Play9 has established itself as one of the mainstays on the HotelPlanner Tour schedule, and this weekend marks the 19th edition of the event. Enhancing the spectator experience over recent years, Blot Play9 boasts two hospitality areas, overlooking both the 12th and 18th greens, and the addition of a Saturday night music set to create a festival style atmosphere in Pléneuf. This year’s concert includes DJ sets from artists such as Kavinsky, Petit Biscuit, Banbz, Sweet Galley and Queen Amann.
Sale is part of a strong field in Pléneuf, including Road to Mallorca Number One MJ Daffue, Spanish star Pablo Ereno and English Open Supported by HotelPlanner winner John Catlin. The Frenchman tees off alongside Spaniard Santiago Tarrio and Dane Anders Emil Ejlersen at 8:30am local time on Thursday.
