A “love sign” before jumping into the pool

When Lydia Ko, this Sunday April 3 at Rancho Mirage, jumped with all her team, cadet and close relatives, in Poppie's Pond, this turquoise body of water which surrounds the green of 18 at Mission Hills Country, there was to hardly enough to be surprised. Even his jump into the famous, original and funny “pool” had something more than that of the winners of previous years, the Lincicome, Thompson and other Inbee Park. It is with the arms above the head, to form a heart, that the girl plunged. Without forgetting, just after this "love sign" that put all the American public in its pocket, to pinch your nose with your thumb and forefinger so as not to drink the cup. A real schoolgirl at the pool!

After Tiger, here is Lydia Ko, the Golf Tigrounette

Except that the schoolgirl, with this second victory in Major, never stops writing history. And it is not finished because she is not 19 years old (she will have them on April 24) and has already announced that she would stop golf at 30 years old. Ko is a feminine Tiger Woods. A Tigrounette! Youngest player to win an LPGA Tour tournament (in 2012 at the Canadian Open). Youngest player to become world number 1 (17 years old). Youngest player to have won a first Major (The Evian Championship on September 13, 2015, aged 18, 4 months and 20 days, breaking the Morgan Pressel record in 2007 at Kraft Nabisco). And now the youngest player to have won two Majors!

The fabulous wedge shot from 88 yards to 18

On paper, Ko's victory in this 2016 edition of the ANA Inspiration does not seem to have ended with much margin. Because with a final score of -12 (cards 70, 68, 69 and 69), the phenomenal little girl in navy shorts and fuchsia polo does not precede The Englishwoman Charley Hull and the South Korean In Gee Chun (2nd tied -11) suddenly. But on the ground, his relaxed authority and above all a few anthology shots (putt for birdie of around 15 meters at no. 8, final wedge shot of 88 yards (around 80 meters) placed on the flag of 18 to snatch the victory without play off), leave no doubt about what makes the difference between it and the rest of the world. The American Lexi Thompson, who was leader at -10 after three rounds, could never make the match after a catastrophic start in the final round (three bogeys on the first leg). And the young Thai Ariya Jutanugarn, who could have marked the history of golf in her country if she had won, led the score for a long time (-13 to 11) but did not manage to avoid her own catastrophe at the end (three bogeys at 16, 17, 18).

390 dollars in bonus, the 000 million in sight…

By winning the bonus of 390 dollars for this victory as magical as the one won at Evian in September 000, Lydia Ko is more than ever at the top of the Rolex Ranking, the world ranking. And naturally, here she is at the top of the two benchmarks of the LPGA, the "Race to CME Globe", official list of points on the season, and the "Money List", more directly affected by the gains. Let us judge: already 2015 million dollars won in just over two months (from January 1 to April 31)! And also, for his entire professional career, a little over two years, almost $ 3 million already accumulated. All in “prize money” during the tournaments, that is to say without counting the amount of the various contracts and partnership, like the one that Évian has just signed with it by making it “global ambassador” of the brand. This can make a lot of dreams of his colleagues on the circuit. But it is obvious that, for Ko, motivation comes even more from sport, from the dreams that she touches with the end of her clubs and from her joy of living her life as a teenager golf golfer.

Karine Icher and Gwladys Nocera still in the top 100

Ko's coup has eclipsed everything else in this ANA Inspiration. However, the French side still welcomes the presence at Rancho Mirage of the two leaders, Gwladys Nocera and Karine Icher. Gwladys unfortunately did not pass the cut. The blame for a really “no” first day, completed with a 77 (+5) card. Impossible to reverse the trend on Friday. It would have been a feat. Karine Icher, author of three good laps (71, 71, 70) which earned her the provisional 20th place, could have considered a top 15, even a top 10. But a Sunday half-fig half-grape (73) made her back off in 32nd place, at -3, nine strokes behind Lydia Ko. No big change, suddenly, for the two Frenchies in the world ranking: Icher passes 58th and Nocera 91st.

Objective US Open and British Open for Blue

But the season is not over, it is even the opposite. Karine Icher mentioned, during this first Major disputed in the Palm Springs region (2h30 drive from Los Angeles), another Major which will take place in California, near San Diego: the next US Open, from July 7 to 10 in San Martin. A goal that stimulates the player from Châteauroux. Karine does not hesitate to say that it is this Major that she would like to win. As for Gwladys Nocera, always stimulated by tough challenges, we know her love for the British Open and for windy and watered links. The fourth Major of the season will take place in Woburn, near London, from July 28 to 31. Gwladys will be there, Karine will be there, and they will be joined by a large contingent of French players. To follow soon!