For the second consecutive year, Brendan Steele scored a seventh-place tie in the Alstom Open de France — the French Open — on the Le Golf National course in Paris last week. The native Idyllwilder’s four-under-par 70-70-71-69 — 280 total was two strokes better than he posted last year and earned 86,625 euros (about $106,000), which will not count toward winnings on his PGA Tour record. His PGA Tour official winnings for this his sophomore year remain at $613,045, but his European Tour winnings bring the year’s overall total to more than $719,000.

Steele played no round over par and was one of only 16 players to post a four-round sub-par score. He carded 20 birdies against 12 bogeys and two doubles. Again this year, Steele was the only American of three in the field to make the cut. Rich Beem and Shaun Micheel, both PGA Championship winners, were sent home early last week.

Steele will take this week off from competition.