Dollars and rattlesnakes

Let's go for ANA Inspiration, the first Major of the season for female golfers. In the California desert region, 2:30 am east of Los Angeles, the dry and sublime backdrop of Rancho Mirage (near Palm Springs) is ready. Against a backdrop of palm trees and flowers in profusion. With also, in the distance, these characteristic hills: powdered with white sand, dotted with soft pink wild flowers, bushes scrawny by the wind and, no doubt, rattlesnakes with sharp tongues which heat their reptile skins to the heat sun of the valley. No player in the world would miss this. Especially since the total prize money for the tournament ($ 2,6 million), even slightly lower than those of the US Open ($ 4,5 million), the KPMG Women's PGA Championship ($ 3,5 million), The Evian Championship ($ 3,25 million) and the RICOH Women's British Open ($ 3M) remain “quite” attractive!

Lydia Ko and Evian, the story of water

Lydia Ko, the young New Zealander of Korean origin who will be 19 on April 24, is already not playing (or more) than for money. With eleven victories on the LPGA to his credit, and a first Major, The Evian Championship, won on the heights of Lake Geneva last September, Ko has already amassed 5,5 million official gains. And we don't even count the rainy partnership contracts. Including that, announced on March 29, of ambassador for Evian (global sports ambassador). At Rancho Mirage, during her press conference, the young girl, as spontaneous as playful to answer all possible subjects, spoke of her great memories of last year at Evian and her pleasure of being associated with a brand which has a purity and health value for her: "When I knew it was OK, I called my agent and I said to him: This is what you did best for me ! Big humble smile to support his point.

Photo: © Agatha Crispy for Swing-Féminin.com

Olympic-shaped players

Winner of the last Major of 2015, Ko has never shone at the Ana Inspiration (ex Kraft Nabisco Championship, we recall, from 1983 to 2014, All Nippon Airlines having taken over as sponsor of the tournament. With few significant performances at the Mission Hills Country Club of Rancho Mirage (25th in 2013, 29th in 2014, 51st in 2015), however, this year it arrives in an “Olympic” form, already because it says it is highly motivated by the prospect of the Games in Rio, next August, then because it is more than ever world number 1 in front of the South Korean Inbee Park and the American Lexi Thompson. And because it has already won this season the New Zealand Open and the Kia Classic just last Sunday in Carlsbad, California too.

Britanny Lincicome title holder

Forty-six of the fifty best in the world are starting this Thursday in a field of one hundred and fifteen players including six amateurs. The American Brittany Lincicome, double winner of the tournament in 2009 and 2015 returns to defend her title. She is one of nine former tournament champions at Rancho Mirage this week and one of four players to have won it multiple times. The Australian Karrie Webb (2000, 2006) and the Americans Juli Inkster (1984, 1989) and Amy Alcott (1983, 1988 and 1991) are also from this closed circle. It may be less obvious for Lincicome this year, Ko and the South Koreans (Ha Na Yang, Kyo Joo Kim, Sei Young Kim, Jiyai Shin) having dominated the start of the season, leaving only one tournament at the best of Americans, Lexi Thompson, winner on February 28 of the Honda LPGA in Thailand.

Karine Icher very beautiful 11th in 2015

In the midst of these stars of the circuit, palm trees galore and the avalanche of snapdragons in bloom which throw their spots of color everywhere around the clubhouse, the green of the 18 and the start of the 1, two French women, two "blueberries" are there, ready to jump on the perf if it seems to want to come! Karine Icher (57th in the world) remains in a superb 11th place in 2015 at the ANA Inspiration. Nothing less than the third best performance of his career in a Major after the US Open in 2005 (6th) and the British Open in 2006 (10th). Karine had therefore played in 68 on Sunday, an excellent card on this course. And apart from Patricia Meunier-Lebouc and her victory in 2003 at the Kraft Nabisco Championship), Karine has the biggest prize list of all French golfers, here at Rancho Mirage: 11th in 2015, 19th in 2013, 24th in 2006, 35th in 2012, 41st in 2011, 46th in 2014, 51st in 2002, 53rd in 2007 and 56th in 2010, with a single cut in 2008.

Gwladys Nocera, without jet lag

Side participations, if Karine Icher plays her eleventh edition, Gwladys Nocera, 88th world, also has a lot of experience on the spot. Gwladys garnered a lot of notable performances before his eighth appearance in the tournament (24th in 2010, 37th in 2007, 48th in 2009, 52nd in 2006 and 57th in 2011, with two cuts, in 2008 and 2015). And if she had not passed the cut last year (coming directly from Morocco after her victory in the Lalla Meryem Cup, she had not had time to recover from the very long journey and had dropped in the second round, completed in 80), she had signed, like Karine, at least one big tour at Rancho Mirage (69 on Thursday, her record here). Arriving this time at Palm Springs International Airport near Rancho Mirage as of last Friday, and staying with friends 100 meters from the course, Gwladys has more favorable parameters for this 2016 edition. So Go Gwladys! Go Karine!