Gwladys Nocera - Photo: © Wikimedia Commons

Biographyabout 

The beginnings

Gwladys Nocera, born in Moulin in 1975, started playing golf at the age of seven at SC Vichy, then joined the France group at the age of 17. In 1997 at the age of 22, she then chose to continue her studies in international business in the United States at New Mexico State University in order to continue progressing in golf, something impossible in Clermont-Ferrand in STAPS.

In the French female amateur world of the time, she won the titles of world team champion in 2000 and European team champion in 1999 (being captain of the France team). She finally finished vice-champion of France in 2002.

Career

Having gone professional on November 4, 2002, she joined the Ladies European Tour, a European women's golf circuit in 2003. She finished this first season at the 51^e place in the order of merit of the European ranking, then in the 25^e in the next season.

In 2005, she failed three times in second place in a tournament, finishing seven times in the Top 10. She thus ended the season in fourth place in the European merit ranking. His good results also secured him a place in the European Solheim Cup team. During this one, she lost a double with Ludivine Kreutz and won her single against Cristie Kerr.

In 2006, she won her first victories on the European circuit, at the Deutsche Bank Ladies Swiss Open, then the BMW Ladies Italian Open and finally the Catalonia Ladies Masters. Out of the 17 tournaments played, she finished eleven times in the Top 10 and added three more places in the Top 20. After leading part of the season in the ranking of the European money list, she finished second behind Laura Davies.

The following season, she consolidated her position among the best players on the European circuit by winning two new tournaments, the KLM Ladies Open in the Netherlands and then the penultimate tournament of the season with the EMAAR-MGF Ladies Masters in Bangalore, India. These two victories are obtained in front of his compatriot Virginie Lagoutte-Clement. She also obtains her second participation for the Solheim Cup where she finishes with a record of 1 victory, 2 losses and a draw. She finished the season again on the podium in the European ranking with a third place.

In 2008, she won the Scottish Open, then the ABN AMRO Open and the AMR AMRO Ladies Open. In September, she established, with 29 strokes under par at the Göteborg Masters, the lowest score in the history of the European circuit. This gives him his fourth victory of the season, followed a fortnight later by his fifth at the Madrid Ladies Masters. This last victory allows her to return to Sweden's Helen Alfredsson at the top of the European ranking. The Swedish forfeit during the last tournament ensures her victory in the European Order of Merit. This trophy is also accompanied by the title of Player of the Year, title designated by a vote of the members of the circuit. However, her results in important tournaments were disappointing: she finished in the 41^e place in the Evian Masters and the 64^e place of the British Open.

In 2009, she participated again in the Solheim Cup where she finished with a record of 3 wins and a draw.

In 2013, she returned to victory by winning 2 tournaments in the European Tour. She finished the year 4th in the European Order of Merit.

In 2014, she won the penultimate tournament of the season, in India (Hero Women's Indian Open), and finished 2nd in the European Order of Merit.

She won her last tournament in April 2015 at the Lalla Meryem Cup in Morocco. And joined for the 4th time the European Solheim Cup team.

In 2016 she participated in the Rio Olympic Games where she finished 36th.

April 2018 she decides to end her career and is now embarking on a new career in coaching.

Results of the 2017 season