DR

Hello Clémence, you won the Torremirona International Open last week in Spain. Is this your best victory so far?

No, it's still a preparation tournament with a field of fairly young players. This is not worth my title of champion of France in 2019, at the Yvelines golf course. I still have the title since the 2020 edition did not take place because of the Covid.

The next step is the American college championship?

Yes, next August I will join Oklahoma State University, that of Ricky Fowler and Matthew Wolff in particular. I had a bad experience with the University of South Carolina, where Pauline plays (Roussin Bouchard). I had given my consent to the coach of this university, who wanted me on her team. But she reversed her decision because I hurt myself twice. Suddenly, I found myself without college at the last moment. I owe a lot to Benoit Matival, the founder (with Dennis Mertens) from the company OverBoarder *, which acts as the interface between young athletes and universities in the United States. He took care of everything and helped me complete my file.

How did you find out about golf?

I started at 10 years old. My father discovered golf at Club Med in Vittel and found it fun. He registered me with the Association Sportive de Levallois, which allows me to play several different courses in the Paris region. A CCP coach, Marc Jathiere, spotted me and told my parents that I have potential. He coached me for five years, then I was coached by Sylvain Raby - who takes care of the teams at the PCC - and joined the Pole at the same time. The two were complementary, Sylvain for the technical aspect, the Pole for the game and the strategy. Since last summer, Gwladys Nocera has been my coach at the performance center.

Gwladys Nocera, it seems that she is a player that you admired as a child?

He was my idol! I was extremely grateful when she agreed to coach me. I remember the first time I saw her at Golf National a year and a half ago, it must have been -4 ° C. They took us to wedging and I didn't even feel the cold, I was like, “Wow, I'm being coached by Gwladys! " (Laughter). He's a very human person, we quickly hit it off. She brings me a lot strategically and technically and shares her experience with me. She teaches me the rigors of professional life, everything that awaits me, going to college, etc.

What is your ultimate golfing dream?

Win the Evian Championship. For my birthday, we went there every year, it makes me dream of this tournament. My goal is to have a great career on the LPGA. I'm going to go to college in the United States for four years and we'll see. But I will remain very clear on my level of play, it is out of the question that I give myself false hopes and that I see myself better than I am.

Your worst memory on a course?

In fact, it is not on a course. A few years ago, I won a tournament in the 14-15 category at the Doral in Miami. To celebrate, I go out in the evening with some friends and we meet in a mall, when a shootout breaks out. There were deaths, a crowd movement with people on the ground, crushed ... The guy who fired was in the shop where I was, about twenty meters from me. It was scary, we ran away, we even hid under a car with my girlfriend. I experienced a very big emotional contrast that day. The following year, I returned to the mall with my father to exorcise what happened.

Your strength and weakness in golf?

My strong point, I would say it is around the greens. I have a good chipping feeling, a good ability to chip putt. My weak point may be my putting stats between 3 and 6 meters, I don't fit enough.

What do you think of when you have a big putt to play?

I try not to think of anything precisely. I know if I start talking to myself the bullet won't go straight (laughs). I try to play all putts the same whether it's eagle or triple bogey. Under pressure, I trust my technique, my line and my AimPoint to better feel the slope.

Your best score?

I did -6 ​​five times, including a 66 card at the Belgian Open in 2019. It was a very important moment for me because it was a period when I was asking myself a lot of questions about my future in golf, and this -6 convinced me that I was on the right track.

What are your interests outside of golf?

I like to do a lot of things, like swimming or more recently boxing, because I have to develop the upper body. I love the cinema, shopping or walking around Paris with my friends. Sometimes, we even go around the capital on a scooter to admire all the monuments ...

Interview by Franck Crudo

*https://overboarder.com/fr/