Nathan Holman has secured a sponsor’s invitation to this week’s French Open at Le Golf National, the Victorian swelling the Australian numbers in the field to eight.

Holman joins European Tour regulars Wade Ormsby, Richard Green, Scott Hend, Andrew Dodt, Marcus Fraser and Jason Scrivener with promising amateur Ryan Ruffels also securing an invitation.

Holman has already impressed in four previous appearances on the European Tour this year, making the cut in all with a best of T11 at the Malaysian Open in February.

With just shy of €80,000 in earnings for the year the 22-year-old has shown a liking for the European Tour and might surprise in France.

After a poor showing in a low scoring BMW International Open in Germany last week the Australian contingent will be keen to turn things around with all five who missed last week’s cut in the field in France.

Wade Ormsby was less than impressive in Germany but a T11 at this tournament in 2014 will give him some confidence heading into the week.

Richard Green has also shown a liking for the course over the years posting five top 10’s, including a runner-up finish in 2004, in 18 starts.

The numbers suggest Green struggled with his irons in Germany but that is unlikely to be a long-term issue and on a course where he is comfortable a comeback is on the cards this week.

The 2018 Ryder Cup course has been less kind to Andrew Dodt who has played the weekend just once in four attempts.

A T18 in 2010 was followed by a missed cut in 2011, WD in 2012 and another missed cut in 2013.

Scott Hend and Jason Scrivener both make their first appearances in the tournament while Marcus Fraser, who was T3 here in 2006, has been less successful since with five missed cuts from nine starts.

However, returning from a successful week at the difficult US Open at Chambers Bay Fraser may find the change in the style of golf to his liking and produce a better performance than last year’s missed cut.