With no less than twenty-two French women departing from Lacoste Ladies Open de France this Thursday at Golf du Médoc Resort, we expected to see some of our representatives playing the leading roles on the Châteaux course, but having two at the top of the leaderboard is still a nice surprise. Especially since it is not the headliners, but two young players at the start of their careers and never yet titled on the European circuit.
L’Arlésienne at the rendezvous!
Anaïs Meyssonnier was the first to return to the clubhouse with a 66 (-5) card with six birdies and a single bogey, a score one stroke off her career best. “The long game was solid, as it has been for a few weeks, and the putting followed well today, so it’s nice! “, said the native of Arles. “Especially since I managed to stay mentally stable all day. I started working with my preparer not too long ago, and the fact that it is paying off is all the more satisfying. It’s a work on the management of my emotions on the course, I try to remain as emotionally stable as possible ”, explains the one who collaborates in this sector with Eric Boucher.
Evolving this season between Ladies European Tour and its second division (Letas), Anaïs Meyssonnier is also reaping the benefits of her recent collaboration with Benoît Teilleria, which brings it its high-level expertise, and the technical work carried out alongside Frédéric Fogeron, having made three cuts in four tournaments on the LET this year. But this week, it is also the presence in the bag of his brother Stéphane, player on the Pro Golf Tour, which gives him extra confidence: “He knows me very well, we’ve been playing together since we were little, so he knows how I work. We had a good discussion about keeping emotions under control, because he’s quite emotional like me too, and I quickly feel when he starts to get aroused. But he knows very well how to calm me down and tell me the stupidity it takes at the right time to relax me on the course! “
Laisné has everything of a great
Anaïs Meyssonnier’s performance was matched, an hour later, by Agathe Laisne. Just professional, the player trained in RCF La Boulie through Vincent Loustaud She also returned a card of 66 (-5), marred by a bogey on her first hole (the 10) but colored with six birdies, including three to finish! “At 7 I returned a chip after making a small flyer, at 8 I trusted my PW and I put it at 1 m, and at 9 I managed a nice approach-putt from the edge off the green, so it was nice to end up like that ”, she said. “I was fine today, calm and serene. When I did good shots I quickly went down, and when I did bad shots I quickly moved on. I managed to play my game, so I’m thrilled. “
Freshly graduated fromUniversity of Texas at Austin, where she spent four years, Agathe Laisné discovered from the Swiss Open last week the professional world. “I love this new life! And since I no longer have college classes to work, I’m not too stressed out. I hope it will continue like this! “ His success this Thursday is also explained by the presence, on his bag, of the experienced Axel Bettan, temporarily out of his “retirement” for the occasion: “I’m here this week because I have a friend who takes care of Agathe, and it made me happy to be able to do her this service. It’s extremely pleasant to work with Agathe: she is super spontaneous, and we have a great time. She is very instinctive, so she makes her choices based on how she feels. Most of the time you feel her certainty in her decision, and from time to time – once or twice today – she asks for my opinion. But she’s the one who keeps control of the game. I don’t know her game well enough yet, but she’s got it all and she’s hitting hard, which is a definite advantage in women’s golf today. She has everything to succeed ”, concludes the caddy.
Well placed boutier
Third French leaderboard this Thursday evening, Celine Boutier did not miss her entry into the running, even if she had to wait until the end to color her card. After a birdie on the 15th (her sixth hole) then a bogey on the 18th, the recent winner of the Solheim Cup with the European team also ended up with three birdies to make a solid 68 (-3) which places it seventh. “It’s got to be a little frustrating to play well and not birdies, but I wasn’t very close to the flags either. Even though I putt well all day, you can’t hope to make a lot of birdies when you’re 6 or 7m away. But as at the end there is a short par 3, the 8, followed by a par 5 touchable in two, so I knew there were a few chances left, so I remained patient until the end ”, she said.
She also received the gift of her brother, the Parisienne relishes this brief visit to France, before leaving on Sunday for the United States to find the LPGA Tour. “It’s a great week so far! It’s going to be a bit short, but I’m taking every opportunity I have to play in France, and so far I’m enjoying it. It’s been a year or more since Kevin has caddied me, but he’s done it a few times in the past, and he knows how I play and how to approach me. It went well today, and it’s always a pleasure to have it on the bag ”, said the one who finished second in the 2019 edition.
Finally, note that Pauline Roussin-Bouchard started in 71 (par) and occupies 26th place alongsideEmma Grechi, Manon Gidali and Camille Chevalier. The former world No. 1 among amateurs, turned pro last month, is caddeyée this week by Alexander Levy, who took advantage of a week off on the European tour to lend a hand to his training partner, since both are coached by Alain Alberti.
