Lacoste Ladies Open de France preview & 4 to watch
Date: 19/09/19
Location: Bordeaux, France
Course: Golf du Medoc, Chateaux Course
Prize Fund: €325,000
Distance: 6,022 Yards
Defending Champion: Caroline Hedwall (Sweden) -12
Wow! What a Solheim Cup that was! what better way to get over it than straight back into the Ladies European Tour. There are a number of Solheim Cup stars on display this week. Nelly Korda, from team USA and Celine Boutier, Azahara Munoz, and Caroline Hedwall from team Europe.
Caroline Hedwall, won here last year coming from 7 shots behind shooting a final round 62 to clinch victory by 2 shots (she started the day in 21st position!). There are a number of players who we could have considered for our 4 to watch this week as the field is so strong including defending champion Hedwall and Munoz who finished 7th here last year. But we have gone with the 4 below due to their form in recent weeks.
Nelly Korda (USA)
Nelly, continues her world travels as she makes a rare appearance on the LET. The week before the Solheim Cup she played in Korea where she finished runner up and now she is in France with a real chance to win.
Nelly, has had a great season with 9 top 10’s in her 16 starts picking up a win at the ISPS Handa Australian Open earlier in the year.
She is coming into this event in good form with 3 top 10’s in her last 6 starts including 9th at the British Open and a strong performance at the Solheim Cup.
Currently 8th on the LPGA order of merit and 10th in the world and 2nd in GIR this year with 76.82%
Celine Boutier (France)
Celine, was my star of Team Europe last week at the Solheim Cup, everything about her game and personality was great, she clearly showed that she is ready to be on the biggest stage of all.
She returns to the LET and her homeland and will look to pick up a win in France.
Celine, claimed her first LPGA victory at the Handa Vic Open right at the beginning of the season which really gave her the confidence that she can perform on the LPGA.
She has 4 top 10’s in her 22 starts this season. She finished 6th at the British Open and was 26th last time out in Portland. She does have an LET victory to her name in 2018 winning the Bonville Classic.
Currently 56th in the world, 22nd on the Order of Merit on the LPGA and 19th on the LET.
Carly Booth (Scotland)
Carly, was in such good form heading into the Czech Ladies Open before the Solheim Cup and it was no surprise to see her lifting the trophy.
She played in the World Invitational in Northern Ireland and had a good finish coming 10th. The week before she won the Douglas Lowe Memorial Trophy for the leading Scot at the Scottish Open, finishing 9th.
It was an unfortunate missed cut at the British Open but she did finish 29th in Thailand a few weeks earlier. Carly, looks in a really good rhythm at the moment and she could easily add to her a win a few weeks ago, she has 3 top 10's this season.
Carly finished 11th here last year, 5 shots behind Hedwall. She is up to 224th in the world and is 7th on the LET Order of Merit.
Olivia Cowan (Germany)
Olivia, is another player having a good season and another player on a good run of late. Olivia, also played in the invitational in Northern Ireland, she had a good finish ending up 3rd, 3 shots behind the winner Stephanie Meadow.
She missed the cut in Scotland in horrible conditions but had a good British Open finishing 29th. Before the majors back on the LET she had 3 top 10's in 4 starts with a 2nd, 4th and 3rd place finish. It feels like only a matter of time before she gets her first LET win.
Olivia also finished 11th here last year, 5 shots behind Hedwall. Cowan, is currently 187th in the world and 6th on the LET Order of Merit.
Looking at the odds for this event i can not believe Manon De Roey is a 400/1 shot. It seems far too high! She won last week on the LET Access Series and is playing some good golf at the moment. She could be a dark horse this week.