@ Pierre-Yves Ansquer

Hello Catherine, my first question is simple: where do you live and what are your occupations now?

I spent the confinement in the south of Spain, because I have lived for nearly fifty years between Cadiz and Madrid. With Saint-Jean-de-Luz, these are the three places where I spend most of my time. My husband is a classical guitarist, I help him organize a classical guitar competition that has been taking place for seven years in Puerto de Santa Maria, north of Cadiz. This year, due to the health crisis, we had to organize it through the Internet.

Do you still play golf?

I unfortunately can no longer. I have a prosthesis on my knee and my right shoulder. Three or four years ago, they operated on my shoulder and it didn't work, so they put a prosthesis on me. I tried to play again, but sending balls to 80 or 100 meters maximum, that does not really amuse me ...

Are these operations linked to your golfing career?

No one could confirm that to me. But what is certain is that I carried my bag for years and that it amused me to run on the slopes, it must not have helped ...

With a golf champion mother and a tennis champion father, did you feel predestined to become a top athlete yourself? Why did you choose golf over tennis?

I played both and played many sports as a child. At the age of 13, I was only 24 of handicap, I played little golf. You know, it's not because you have champion parents that you necessarily become a champion. My parents were quiet people who didn't like to put themselves forward. Dad was a good golf player, he was 6 handicap. He gave me a lot of technical advice, just like Jean Garaïalde. I made a lot of progress by playing alliances with Jean. He's the one who gave me the blade putter that has been with me all my life, a Golden Goose. At the time, I played my training games starting from the back boxes with Bernard Pascassio, Philippe Mendiburu or Dominique Larretche, which made everyone progress because the girls want to prove what they are worth and the boys do not want not get beaten by girls!

You are the first Frenchwoman to have won a Major and the only amateur player to have won the US Open, in 1967 in Hot Springs, Virginia. Do we still talk to you about it often?

Catherine Lacoste holding the trophy after winning the US Women's Open in 1967 held at Virginia Hot SpringsC & TC, Hot Springs, Va. Copyright Unknown / Courtesy USGA Archives.

This past month, I had to do three interviews for American newspapers. The Americans even invited me this year to celebrate the 75th anniversary of the US Open. There is also a Frenchman who wants to make a film about me. So yes, I still hear about it often (Laughter).

Is it true that during the last round of this famous US Open, you made a socket at hole n ° 16 and narrowly avoided the water obstacle?

Yes, how it can happen to anyone. But it only cost me one point, I made an approach and two putts and kept the lead of the tournament with a point lead, two holes to go.

Before the last day you were leading by 5 points but local reporters reminded you that a fortnight earlier an amateur was in the same situation as you at the Men's US Open and completely collapsed on Sunday. Did that bother you?

Not really. Don't listen to journalists (Laughter).

Once the tournament has been won, you call your parents in France. It was your father's birthday ...

Yes, but it was mom who answered. She was very emotional and had difficulty speaking for a few seconds. My parents were obviously very proud.

Why didn't you want to turn professional, at 22, after your victory at the US Open?

I did not want to expatriate to the United States, because there was no professional circuit at that time in Europe and I could not have continued to play in France or with the France team, which held me to heart. At the age of 25, I had won all the biggest amateur tournaments and I wanted to do something else, to start a family.

How do you explain that apart from Arnaud Massy, ​​Patricia Meunier-Lebouc and yourself, no other Frenchman has won a Major?

Because it's not easy to win a Major (Laughter) ! It takes a lot of work and there are a lot of very good players in the world, the average level keeps increasing. In my time, the level was already very high and the Americans were very strong, with a different mentality than ours. There, only victory counts.

Your father was nicknamed "the Crocodile", which has become the emblem of the Lacoste brand, because he never let go of his prey. Suddenly, the American press nicknamed you "the Crocodile Kid". Did you both have the same temperament, the same fighting spirit in competition?

Whatever the circumstances, daddy never let himself down. We both had the competitive spirit. We were catchy it's true, but against the course, not against the people. I didn't particularly like to play match-play. What I liked about golf was to beat the course, the trips ...

After your victory at the US Open, you said: “I can die now because I will be remembered as Catherine Lacoste. " Was it important for you to come out of the shadow of your illustrious parents and make yourself, if I may say so, a first name?

Of course. My grandmother always told me that I would never play as well as my mother. I had wonderful parents. But it was not always easy to be the daughter of… and to have self-confidence in these conditions.

Besides your victory in Hot Springs, what are the best memories of your career?

There are four of them. In chronological order, my first place tied at the world team championships, in Saint-Germain. I was only 19 and we beat the Americans on top of that. My victory at the US Open obviously. And finally my victories in 1969 at the US Ladies Amateur, then at the British Lady amateur. Mom had won it in 1927 and she was there that day, it was magic.

And your worst memory?

My elimination in the first round of the British Lady, just before the US Open in 1967. At the time, there was a qualification on 36 holes, then we played in match play. But it was bad for good. Mom told me that it would allow me to go to the United States sooner and get some rest. And she was right.

A few weeks ago, at the Boulie golf course, director Jean-Franck Burou told us that the course record (61) had been held since 1986 by Severiano Ballesteros, on the occasion of the pro-am preceding the French Open , and that you were part of *. Do you remember that day?

Oh yeah ! Severiano was a great friend, we were happy to play together. At each hole, I encouraged him, I told him he had to birdie. And the birdies, he chained them (Laughter) !

Is it true that you used iron 1 regularly during your career ?!

Yes, I often took it out of my bag when it was very windy and the ball should not be lifted. An iron shot 1 was like a gunshot, it was a club with which we put little effect on the ball. Likewise, when I won the US Open I used the 2 wood at the start rather than the driver because the course in Hot Springs was very narrow.

What was your favorite club?

There was my 1 iron, but also my pitching-wedge which I used almost all the time for approaches. And then my putter. I worked a lot on putting, it's very important to win a tournament. I was very rarely in trouble on the small 1m, 1m20 putts.

Have you ever completed a hole-in-one?

Never. But that's okay, I wouldn't trade a hole in one for one of my wins (Laughter). I had a rather high ball trajectory, which pitched a lot and to make a hole in one, a rolling ball is better.

You should have used your 1 iron even more often!

Yes, I hadn't thought about it, but for a par 3, it's rarely the right club ... (Laughter)

During your career, was there a player that you admired?

Severiano Ballesteros. He is one of the greatest players in history. I admired his talent, his skill, his inspiration. He was truly a fantastic player.

Apart from the Chantaco golf course, of which you were the president for thirty-five years, what is your favorite course?

Hot springs necessarily (Laughter) ! Moreover, I remember telling my parents that the course reminded me of Chantaco. The last nine holes there are like the first nine at Chantaco: the narrow fairways, the trees, the water hazards, the mountain around…

You have played many Pro-Am, what is the most common defect among amateurs?

For beginners, I would say they don't look at the ball well enough. Otherwise, in general, amateurs do not work enough on their game, which is fundamental. You have to train twice as much for the little game as for the big game.

To conclude, can you tell us about the Porosus ** endowment fund, which you created with other members of your family, and which notably supports many French golfers *** 

We created it with my children, my nephews and my nieces. It is about helping young talents in golf, but also in other sports or in the artistic field. Art is also something that we really like in the family. It is important to support young people. With Patricia Meunier-Lebouc, Anne-Marie Palli and Nathalie Jeanson, we meet every three months to find out which players we can help.

Interview by Franck Crudo

Ina archive: interview with Catherine Lacoste after her victory in 1967

*https://swing-feminin.com/la-boulie-sur-les-pas-des-geants/

**https://www.fonds-porosus.org/

*** Marion Duvernay, Agathe Sauzon, Manon Gidali, Lucie André, Astrid Vayson de Pradenne, Camille Chevalier, Isabelle Boineau, Anaïs Meyssonnier, Marie Fourquier, Marion Ricordeau, Emilie Alonso, Céline Herbin, Justine Dreher, Inès Lescudier, Valentine Derrey or again Perrine Delacour.