Beth Allen - © ASO / PBallet

One year after your victory at the Lacoste Ladies Open de France 2016, in what state of mind do you approach this 2017 edition?

I feel very good, and I have great memories of this place, obviously! I was looking forward to this week. I love this part of the world so I am so happy to be back here.

How would you rate your 2016 campaign on the American circuit compared to your brilliant 2017 season on the European circuit?

This season hasn't been my best, that's for sure. I am very happy to have returned to the United States to play on the LPGA Tour, it was a very good experience, but the results are indeed disappointing (Editor's note: 7 cuts made in 21 tournaments, 106th overall). I had started the year well, but I had a long slump in the middle. It's starting to come back a little to me, and I hope to be able to confirm these good feelings in the coming weeks. And then I think it will be better next year, because I will have the experience of this year to help me.

How do you explain these results below your expectations?

It's just related to my confidence, which hasn't always been at its peak. I've had a few bad weeks, and bad golfing doesn't help to keep me confident. I don't think my game is any worse than last year, it's just in my head that it's happening. Confidence is slowly coming back, and I'm sure that soon everything will be back to normal. And then, it must be said that the year has been long and busy: I will have played something like 26 tournaments in total, whereas last year I had played 18. I will try to lighten up a bit. my schedule next year.

What are your expectations this week?

I hope to be at Azahara Muñoz and Cristie Kerr's level this week. They are great players and good friends so I will do my best to compete. I know this course well, I know how to play it, so I'm pretty calm. If I play like I did last year, there is no reason why I should not be in the fight for victory.

Does defending a title give you more pressure, or more confidence?

The first time I defended a trophy (Editor's note: that of the ISPS Handa Ladies European Masters last year in Germany), I was quite nervous at the start, but I had played pretty well. This year, as I know the course well, I feel really relaxed.

The course being very wet after the heavy rains at the beginning of the week, do you think of playing it in a different way from last year?

The course is obviously very wet, but the maintenance teams are doing everything to ensure that it is in excellent condition for the tournament. The sun, which made a comeback today, should help a lot! My strategy may actually be a little different, because we will really be able to fly the ball to the flags, given that the greens are very receptive. On the other hand, the course will be a little longer since the ball rolls less on the fairways. It balances out, but the game won't be quite the same as last year, that's for sure.