The last tournament for Shanshan Feng, the title for Beth Allen

The balance sheet time for the Ladies European Tour struck a day earlier than expected. It is indeed on December 9, and not on 10 as scheduled, that the European women's season ended at the Omega Dubai Ladies Masters. After the death of caddy Maximilian Zechmann, victim of a heart attack on the Majilis Course (while the Austrian fifties, based in Dubai and father of three children, caddied Anne-Lise Caudal during the first round on Wednesday), the tournament was indeed reduced to 54 holes.

With a final card of 64 for her Friday, China's Shanshan Feng won the last tournament of the year, offering herself her fourth Omega Dubai Ladies Open. Plus the 75 euros bonus offered to the winner. With a total of 000 euros accumulated in just four tournaments counting for the LET (327st Buick Championship, 274,88th British Open, 1th The Evian Championship, 17st in Dubai), Shanshan Feng could have won the Order of Merit since Beth Allen , 4th in Dubai, totaled 1 euros in earnings. But the Chinese, more focused on the LPGA Tour in 55, did not display the six LET tournaments played, which is the regulatory minimum to be able to appear in the final standings.

“Isabelle l'Écossaise”, the only French winner in 2016

Beth Allen, twice winner of the European Tour in 2016 (Lacoste Ladies Open of France in early October and Fatima Bint Mubarak Ladies Open in Abu Dhabi in early November) therefore becomes the first American to win the Order of European Merit in 38 years.

Her runner-up is the 18-year-old Indian girl, Aditi Ashok, also Rookie of the Year, who lit the end of the season with two consecutive victories (Hero Women's Indian Open on November 13, Qatar Ladies Open on November 26 ). Plus a 3rd place on December 9 in Dubai! The English Florentyna Parker and Georgia Hall are 3rd and 4th in this final LET ranking. And it is the French Isabelle Boineau, 5th with 156 116 euros of gains, which completes this very beautiful quinté of European head. The Marseillaise, winner of the Scotland Open at the end of July, is the only tricolor player to have won a big tournament in this year 2016, whether on the LET or on the LPGA Tour. Hence a spectacular progression for the 27-year-old player who trains with Benoît Ducoulombier.

In 2014, Isabelle finished 59th in the Order of Merit. In 2015, she was 31st. In 2016, she therefore finished excellent 5th. Not far from his goal which was to grab the top 3 final. With one more satisfaction: that of having been retained in the European team of LET which was third against the Koreans of the KLPGA, the Japanese of the JLPGA and the Australians of the ALPG, during Queens. A tournament played from December 2 to 4 in Japan, which was also one of his season goals.

Three “podiums” on the LPGA Tour signed by Karine Icher

Another French woman, Karine Icher, has dreamed of a goal, but of a career that year 2016: to win, once in her life, an LPGA Tour tournament. It happened very close by three times. Already 3rd in the Shoprite Classic in June and 2nd in the Manulife LPGA Classic on September 1, the Châteauroux player almost came close to the dream she cherished since her American debut in 2003. It was during the Lorena Ochoa Invitational, November 13 last in Mexico. But a new 2nd place awaited him, the Spanish Carlota Ciganda having decided to strike her off the “One”.

The fact remains that the Icher season in the United States, with these three new “podiums”, is very good. With more than $ 628 in earnings, the Frenchwoman brings her career total on the LPGA Tour to more than $ 000 million in thirteen years. At the end of the 4,7 season, the rankings also speak in a good way: 2016th in the Money List of the LPGA Tour (won by the Thai Ariya Jutanugarn, with 28 million dollars, in front of Lydia Ko, 2,55 million dollars ), the Castelroussine also finished 2,49th in the Race To CME Globe Final. As for Rolex rankings, the world ranking, we find it 19th. And of course, the best Frenchwoman ranked.

Tops 10 for Anne-Lise Caudal, Alexandra Vilatte-Farret and Jade Schaeffer

For that of the tricolor players evolving mainly on LET, the last month of tournament, from November 10 to December 10, will have allowed some nice shots. For some, maintaining the top 80 of the final ranking, synonymous with category 5 and the right to play for the 2017 season, was at stake.

At the Indian Open on November 13, Alexandra Vilatte-Farret and Anne-Lise Caudal, tied for 6th, offered themselves a beautiful top 10 while Gwladys Nocera (13th), Isabelle Boineau (19th) and Justine Dreher (25th) added from density to the overall result. At the Qatar Ladies Open on November 26, another top 10 was to be credited to Jade Schaeffer (9th), a performance confirmed by the young woman during the final tournament, on December 9 in Dubai (14th).

At the 2016 Order of Merit, behind Beth Allen, the American winner, and Isabelle Boineau, 5th, Gwladys Nocera managed to finish 16th and second best French for this 2016 season. Not of the same level, of course, as her 4th places final in 2015 and especially 2nd in the 2014 Order of Merit. But relief after a very long season to start, with almost no points scored before the month of July.

In all, with Céline Herbin 30th, Alexandra Vilatte-Farret 38th, Jade Schaeffer 46th, Valentine Derrey 55th, Justine Dreher 58th, Sophie Giquel-Bettan 61st and Anne-Lise Caudal 69th, they are nine French women to be among the top 80 final of the LET 2016…