@Philippe Pinton

Hello Lucie, Marie Fourquier recently told us that with Anaëlle Carnet, all three of you were launching small challenges to keep in shape during confinement * ...

Yes it's true, small sporting challenges (laughs). Anaëlle sent us crossfit sessions to do and we tried to set the best time. For example, we had to do fifty squats, forty lunges, thirty sit-ups, twenty push-ups and ten burpees as quickly as possible ...

Ten birdies?

No, burpees. Basically, we throw ourselves on the ground to do push-ups. But the birdies would have been good too (laughs)!

Have you already resumed competition?

Not yet. The second division resumes in ten days, at Gams in Switzerland, on the border with Liechtenstein. The calendar can still change. For example, at the end of September-beginning of October, we have to play in Spain, at Terre Blanche and then again in Spain, but the Tour will try to link the two Spanish tournaments, which would be more logical. Potentially, I could play my season in six tournaments in just a month and a half.

What are your goals for this truly special end of the season?

I haven't played competitively since the cards last January. For me, it will simply be a question of rediscovering the sensations, of getting up to speed and of having fun ...

You were notably European No. 1 among amateurs, twice French champion (2002 and 2008) and victorious in 2017 at LETAS, in the Czech Republic. What is your best memory ?

In fact, it was the world team championships in 2010 where we finished third with the girls, during my last season as an amateur. I really liked the atmosphere, the state of mind that reigned. I love playing team tournaments, I regret that there are so few.

And your worst memory on a course?

It was mostly a big disappointment. In 2018 in the Czech Republic, I made a hole in one on the first lap… where there is a car to win! A Skoda Break that was worth at least 40000 euros of memory. The photographers come running, everyone comes to congratulate me, I'm so excited that I'm not at all focused for the rest of my game. At the clubhouse, Astrid (Vayson de Pradenne) comes to congratulate me on the jewel that I won. "What do you mean a jewel, I won a car", I answer him. In fact, on the rules of the Skoda advertising campaign, at the start of the hole, there was a small line at the end that specified that the car was only in play on the last lap! I was convinced that I had won a car and my jewel, it was not worth more than 30 euros maximum ... (laughs)

Do you often make holes in one?

I managed three, each time in competition. The last one was this one, in the Czech Republic. I had done one in 2009 during a tournament in Texas, the Spirit, in doubles with Marion Ricordeau. I remember that the flag was at the far right and that at the time I was hitting the ball badly, I tended to make slices. My ball landed in the middle of the green and with effect ended up in the hole (laughs)! I succeeded in another during the cards in 2011, in La Manga (Spain).

Your ultimate golfer dream?

Taking part in the Olympic Games and representing France is something important to me. This obviously implies very good results ...

It seems you almost ended your career in 2013 ...

You know, I almost quit more than once. In a career, there are difficult passages, we ask ourselves a lot of questions: are we good enough for this game, are we going to earn enough money, especially in women's golf ...

How did you find out about golf?

I was 11, it was at the Bourg-en-Bresse golf course. My parents and my brother played but I found that things did not move enough, I preferred tennis. I had a click when I participated in my first competition. We had a new ranking immediately after the tournament, whereas in tennis we had to wait until the end of the season.

How did you rank in tennis?

I was classified 30 to 16 years old, I played at the Péronnas club.

What is your strong point in golf?

Wedging, which allows me to save a few games.

And your weak point?

I am not regular enough at driving. I haven't counted the number of times I've changed drivers over the past four years. I am always a bit in a panic when I take out the driver because my ball can go anywhere. I play most of the time wood 3 or wood 5, which makes me longer the holes and suddenly, the birdies are less numerous. Fortunately, my wedging saves me ...

Your best score?

-9 in Hossegor, during the French ladies' championship in 2008, it was the course record.

Sophie Giquel told us that when she had to play a very important putt under pressure, she would just focus on her movement and imagine that she was on the putting green **. What are your mental keys to approaching this type of putting?

Under the effect of stress, the heart rate accelerates. I do a lot of stomach breathing, I breathe in through my stomach and breathe through my mouth, it's a relaxation therapy exercise that brings the pressure down. Afterwards, there isn't really a technique, it's mostly a question of self-confidence. I'm just trying to get the ball out on the line I imagined.

Is there a player you admire?

Younger, it was Suzann Pettersen. She was athletic, she hit hard, she was regular, she had all the qualities. On a course, he was a neutral person, who did not express his feelings too much. There is also Azahara Munoz, I know her a little, we were an amateur at the same time. He is a simple person who has his feet on the ground.

If you had to choose a course in France and abroad ...

In France, Hossegor obviously, because I played there really well and it's an incredible memory. But even when I play it less well, I find it a fabulous course. Abroad, I would say the Emirates Golf Club in Dubai. They built the golf course before the city. The design is top notch and the maintenance of the course exceptional.

What do you think is the most common fault among amateurs?

There is not enough left arm extension at impact and they lose power from the blow. It's a chicken wing swing, a bit like my parents' swing, but I don't want to swing anyone… (laughs)

What are your interests outside of golf?

I love sport, I play squash a lot at the moment, but also tennis, paddle. I go to the gym a lot, it's kind of my second home. I also do yoga, meditation, I swim, I read, I listen to music ...

Interview by Franck Crudo

*https://swing-feminin.com/marie-fourquier-mon-oncle-jean-francois-lucquin-ma-appris-a-jouer-plus-juste/

**https://swing-feminin.com/sophie-giquel-realiser-son-plein-potentiel-cest-la-quete-de-chacun-dentre-nous/

http://www.lucieandre.fr/