Laetitia Champagne - © Caroline Monfort.

Aviva is an insurance company present in fourteen countries and the major partner of the Lacoste Ladies Open de France. Why did your brand choose golf, and especially women's golf?

For more than ten years, Aviva has been committed to a more inclusive society. We are very committed to equality between men and women, our index is also 94 out of 100 (the index - nothing to do with golf - of gender equality within a company is calculated according to 5 criteria: remuneration, increases received during the year, evaluation of promotions, maternity leave and the proportion of women among the highest paid). We wanted to shed light on women's golf. The players are distinguished by their openness and generosity. Through sponsorship of the Lacoste Ladies Open de France, we want to echo our commitments and help reduce inequalities between women's and men's golf. Inequalities in terms of numbers, media coverage or even prize-money.

Is this the reason why you fought for the 2020 edition of the tournament to still take place last September at the Médoc golf course, despite the health crisis?

Exactly. It is also an important meeting for our agents and their clients, invited to play a Pro-Am at the closing of the Lacoste Ladies Open de France. It is also an opportunity to make great encounters and to create links with professional players. For example, Emma Grechi played two years in a row the Pro-Am Aviva with Eric Trindade, who runs the Aviva agency in Lille with Vincent Nigond. The two partners have decided to sponsor, for the 2021 season, this French golf hope *.

Do you support other players in particular?

Anne-Lise Caudal was Aviva's ambassador between 2018 and 2020. But this year we have chosen to support the entire industry, to strengthen the tournament's endowment rather than to support one player in particular.

What other events are you partnering with?

There is the Montauban Ladies Open at the Montauban l'Estang golf course, from July 8 to 13, and of course the Aviva Golf Trophy, of which it will be the 5^e editing. Each year we organize between 20 and 30 stages. Last year, we managed to compete in almost all competitions, respecting the health protocol. We are also very grateful to the French golf federation for its action with the authorities. Normally, the Aviva Golf Trophy takes place between April and October but for 2021 it will probably be too early and the 23 events of the year should take place between May and November.

You yourself are an excellent player, ranked 3rd on the index. How did you get your passion for golf?

My mother and my grandmother were skilled players who passed on their passion and values ​​to me, such as surpassing oneself, team spirit… I started at the age of 7 at the Domont-Montmorency golf course. I had a Basque teacher, Roger Changart, who was very inspiring. Golf has even dedicated its Domont-Montmorency Grand Prix to him, also called the Roger Changart Trophy. Since 2008, I have been a member of the Saint-Germain-en-Laye golf course. After having been part of the sports commission, I am now on the field commission chaired by Stéphane Marletti. Discussions with greenkeeper Jean-Marc Legrand, who has just handed over to Jean-Eric Simonnot, are fascinating at a time when golf courses are embarking on ecological transition. And then, I am very happy to be able to share my passion with my two children, 20 and 21, who have a single-digit index. All three of them leave on Sunday at 7 am to wear the club's colors in team competition, these are special moments.

What is your best memory as a golfer?

It's always difficult to pull one out, there are a lot of them. There is my -1 card when I was index 10 during a competition at IGCP. I had gold in my fingers that day (Laughter). I realized that I was under par at the start of the 18th. I even preferred to secure the last hole, which is a par 5, and play it in regulation to preserve my score. As a good memory, there are also my two holes in one, on the 13 of the IGCP and the 15 in Cabourg. Today, I am very grateful to Aviva, which allows me to combine my passion for golf with my professional activity.

Today, there are 29% of female golfers in France. How do you attract more women to our courses in your opinion?

The number of licenses for players under 18 is still too low: less than a third of those registered. And under-18s only represent 10% of licensees. There is a whole pool to be exploited here! The solution lies in education, we must initiate girls from an early age and have more women teaching. It is an additional motivator for girls, who can also identify more easily. And then, women must learn not to feel guilty about playing golf because of their family life, it is a magnificent sport which is good for health as well.

Interview by Franck Crudo.

*https://swing-feminin.com/emma-grechi-je-voulais-etre-championne-de-france-comme-mon-pere/