Photo: DR

"Isa" qualified thanks to its European top 5 of 2016

It is at the Trump National Golf Club in Bedminster, very close to New York, that the 72nd US Women's Open opens this Thursday, July 13. Only two French women, Karine Icher and Isabelle Boineau, qualified this year, when there were four of them (Icher, Nocera, Derrey and Schaeffer) during the 2016 edition which saw the victory of the American Brittany Lang at CordeValle, in California. For Isabelle Boineau, it will be a discovery. The Marseillaise indeed plays its first Women's US Open this week in New Jersey. This is thanks to the final top 5 (5th) obtained in the ranking of the European Order of Merit last year, a few months after winning the Scottish Open. A great opportunity to really launch its 2017 season, after a little complicated months (only four possible LET events in its program, two missed cuts and a 50th place at the Lalla Meryem Cup in Morocco as the only reference…). The happiness of Boineau, 28, may come from the Majors, who also qualified for the next Évian Championship (September 14-17) by dominating the European qualification, in early June in Évian.

The examples of Danielle Kang or Babe Zaharias

For Karine Icher, participating in the US Open has almost become a routine since the first of her thirteen appearances in the oldest of the major women dates back… to the year 2001. Currently 37th in the world, the player of Châteauroux, who plays on the LPGA Tour has been competitive for almost fifteen years. And motivated for this type of competition since she never fails to remember that the Major who makes her dream the most is precisely the American Open. Already 10th in Ana Inspiration last April at Rancho Mirage, then recent 29th in the KPMG Women's PGA Championship at the start of July in Chicago (Olympia Fields, Illinois), Icher remains always in the right peloton, even without ever having managed to win a tournament on the LPGA Tour. The example of the American Danielle Kang, winner of the KPMG on July 2 when she had never imposed herself on the “regular” American circuit before this first Major, can inspire her. At 38, it is not too late to imitate Babe Zaharias, winner of the 1954 US Open at the record age of 43 years and 6 days.

Lydia, not yet “major” or winner in 2017

That said, the two Frenchwomen will not be the only ones dreaming of a sparkle on the Old Course at the Trump National Golf Club in Bedminster. One hundred and fifty-six players are there for the same thing. Knowing that only the sixty best and tied will pass the cut to play the weekend. In 2016 at the Women's US Open at CordeValle, Icher was thus stopped on Friday evening. And there are still two weeks to the KPMG Women's PGA Championship, the Thai Ariya Jutanugarn, however world number 1 at the beginning of June, also left home after two days. The best are not immune… Ariya Jutanugarn, today number 2 in the world behind the South Korean So-Yeon Ryu, will be among the players who have a revenge to take this week in New Jersey. This is even more true for Lydia Ko, still in search of a first success in 2017. The young New Zealander, so long the queen at the Rolex Rankings, has fallen to 4th place in the world. "Only" 11th in the Ana Inspiration and 59th in the KPMG Women's PGA Championship, she signed only one performance to match her talent this year: 2nd in the Lotte Championship on April 12th. It's been three months. An eternity for her…