MARCEL SIEM OF Germany won the French Open at Le Golf National near Versailles on Sunday.

He closed with a 67 for an eight-under-par total of 276 and a one-stroke victory over Italy’s Francesco Molinari who carded a day’s best 64.

It was 31-year-old Siem’s first Tour win since the Dunhill Championship in South Africa eight years ago.

Home hope Raphael Jacquelin was alone in third a further stroke back after signing for a 69.

Molinari started the day eight behind joint leaders David Howell and Anders Hansen but he quickly overtook them and finished with a 12-foot putt at the last for a remarkable nine birdies in 16 holes, an inward half of 29 and a best of the week 64.

The Italian Ryder Cup player than sat back and waited to see if anyone cvould match him with the leaders two hours away from the end of their day.

For a while it looked like he might stay atop the leaderboard only for Siem to sneak closer and then go in front by splashing out of sand to seven feet at the long 14th.

But he still had the tough closing four holes at the Albatross course to negotiate where water is an omni-present threat.

A birdie at 15 put him two ahead and that proved to be crucial as he bogeyed the treacherous par-four last.

Siem is the third German to win the French Open after Bernhard Langer in 1984 and Martin Kaymer in 2009.

- © AFP, 2012