Ladies Italian Open (LET) : Lucie Malchirand, reine d’Italie

Back to the calendar of Ladies European Tour after seven years of absence, thewomen’s Italian open has offered itself a memorable outcome for its 25th edition, which will remain engraved in the annals of the tournament, but also of the LET, and French golf. For the first time in history, a French amateur player won an event counting for the European circuit. Lucie Malchirand has indeed written this page of history by snatching the victory in the home stretch, making two birdies at the 17th and 18th to beat his partner of the day, the Englishwoman, to the post. Gabriella Cowley, and the Finnish Ursula Wikström. “I’m still shaking since that last putt!” “ Lucie said a few minutes after hitting that one-yard putt on the last green. “It was an incredible day. I had ups and downs, birdies and bogeys, so it was pretty stressful, but so good in the end! “

Birdies, the Marseillaise recorded six, as many as bogeys during this last lap in roller coaster mode. Sometimes a hunter, sometimes hunted, Lucie Malchirand drew from deep within herself the strength to go and snatch the final birdies to offer herself, at only 18 years old, her first professional title. “On the way back, there were lots of leaderboards, so I saw my name go up and down over the holes. After my birdie at 17, I told myself that it was possible to make another one since 18 is a par 5. I told myself that I had to give my best until the end, and I made it … It’s great! ” By saving a final card of 72 (par), she therefore suddenly outstripped her runners-up and joined the winners of this Ladies Italian Open Gwladys Nocera (2006) and Ludivine Kreutz (2003). Above all, she becomes the first French amateur to win on the LET, and the eleventh only in the 42 years of the circuit’s history … Invited next week to the Jabra Ladies Open in Évian, she will even have the opportunity to achieve a completely new double!

Second French this Sunday at Golf Club Margara, Astrid Vayson de Pradenne and Camille Chevalier split 21st place at -1 after both playing 72 (par). Isabelle Boineau, also author of a last card in the par, finished 29th; Emma Grechi (72) ranked 35th, and finally Anne-Lise Caudal (75) a I finished 52e.