From left to right: Isabelle Boineau, Karine Icher, Céline Herbin, Gwladys Nocera

European ranking: Beth Allen at the head, Isabelle Boineau 5th

What is the common point between the Lacoste Ladies Open of France, disputed from October 6 to 9 in Chantaco, and the Fatima Bint Mubarak Ladies Open, which has just been held from November 2 to 5 in Abu Dhabi? American Beth Allen's victory! 2016 could well be a successful year for the smiling Californian who has just taken the helm of the Order of European Merit and who aims more than ever for the crown on the Old Continent. On the Ladies European Tour, there is indeed only a series of four tournaments between now and the final (Omega Dubai Ladies Masters from December 7 to 10). The only really dangerous pursuer of Beth Allen in the ranking is the Chinese Shanshan Feng. But the latter has so far made the judicious choice of the LPGA Tour (2nd in Taiwan on October 9, winner of the Sime Darby LPGA in Malaysia on October 30) and it is already 50 € behind. A significant gap and therefore stimulating for Miss Allen's ambitions, even if with Feng, everything can turn around in one or two tournaments. Behind this exclusive Sino-American duel, several players will compete for 000rd place in the Order of Merit 3: the English Georgia Hall (current 2016rd with € 3), the Scottish Catriona Matthew (140th at € 939 ) and the Frenchwoman Isabelle Boineau (4th at 137 024). Isabelle, whose objective, clearly mentioned in September at the Evian Championship, is precisely to finish in the top three of the final ranking.

The Top 10: Nocera, Herbin, Derrey, Vilatte, Boineau and Icher

This desire to end the season well is naturally common to all French women. And it shows, even if, during the four tournaments of LET and the four tournaments of the LPGA Tour disputed for a month, there were no podiums, therefore no victories either. Because in total, and it should be noted, there are no less than seven top 10 signed by six different players. Isabelle Boineau and Alexandra Vilatte-Farret, 9th and 10th at the Lacoste Ladies Open in France, had shown the way in early October in the Basque country. As of October 16 at the Xiamen International Ladies Open in China, Valentine Derrey signed a beautiful 8th place: her second top 10 of the season since she had already been 10th in New Zealand open in February. On October 29, at the Sanya Ladies Open, disputed on the Yalong Bay side, also in China, it was Gwladys Nocera and Céline Herbin, 6th and 8th, who offered their own top 10. On November 5 at the Fatima Bint Mubarak Ladies Open in Abu Dhabi, Gwladys did it again by being 8th. With the place of 7th on the LPGA Tour obtained by Karine Icher on October 16 at the LPGA Keb Hana Bank Championship, in South Korea, the presence of the Tricolores, this fall among the elite of world golf, is very real.

From left to right: Agathe Sauzon and Joanna Klatten

Two special mentions: Agathe Sauzon and Joanna Klatten

Beyond the raw side, there are several positive points to note. For Gwladys Nocera, who had had a very calm start to the season on the LET (despite the summer satisfaction with her Olympic qualification and her 38th place at the US Open), the performances "normal for her" returned. And in view of his last "perfs", this 15th career victory which would allow him to be a life member of the Ladies European Tour remains absolutely possible, even at 41 years old. The two special mentions of the month go to Miss Sauzon and Klatten. A 24-year-old neo-pro, Agathe Sauzon scored her first points on the LET by ranking 28th at the Sanya Ladies Open on October 29 in China! Since his debut last May at the Lalla Meryem Cup in Morocco, the young player of the Chanalets golf course was at seven professional tournaments without passing the cut. It's done, and beautifully, by Agathe. No notable results recently for Joanna Klatten, either on the LET or the LPGA Tour. But Joanna is still the leader in the “Distance to drive” statistic of the LPGA Tour: with an average of 281,372 yards (257,286 meters), she is ahead of the American Lexi Thompson (278,565 yards) and seems to be on track to win this ranking a second time after his triumph of 2015 (274,420 yards). A little cocorico can't hurt!