As the Ladies European Tour (LET) returns after the Solhiem Cup in Spain last week, all eyes turn to the Lacoste Ladies Open de France in Deauville with Olivia Mehaffey hoping to improve on her recent appearances on the tour.
Mehaffey has only made the cut for the weekend’s play once in her last five attempts – the KPMG Women’s Irish Open at Dromoland Castle – where she finished tied 50th for the competition.
The Northern Irishwoman’s current run of form is inopportune to say the least, as Mehaffey is vying to retain her tour card for next season’s competition which she will do if she finishes in the top-70 in the Race to Costa del Sol rankings.
Heading into the competition in France this week, Mehaffey sits in 76th place after slipping down the standings with a couple of underwhelming performances on the tour at the Big Green Egg Open and VP Bank Swiss Ladies Open on her previous two outings.
Also competing in the field of 108 players, in what is the second consecutive staging of the Open de France at the Golf Barrière course in Deauville, is one of Europe’s Solheim Cup heros – Céline Boutier.
Boutier is currently leading the Race to Costa del Sol with a gap of 238.18 points separating her and her nearest competitor in second – Ana Pelaez Trivino.
Boutier is a former champion of this event, emerging victorious at the 2021 staging of the event at Golf du Médoc Resort, and the French star has been reminiscing on that victory two years ago in the lead up to this week’s action.
“It was definitely one of my favourite ever weeks,” said the 29-year-old, “I feel like it was such a good tournament and a great finish right at the end. It was so good for me and my confidence to win that week.”
“It’s a different course to the Evian Resort and to where I won the title before at Golf Club du Medoc. It’s a new challenge so I would love to be able to win it again this year.”
Also in action in France is Alexandra Forsterling, who is arguably the form player in the talented field after an impressive three days of golf at the VP Bank Swiss Open two weeks ago.
The German is ranked 14th in the Race to Costa del Sol rankings and is sure to be eyeing up a second victory on the tour with her game as strong as it is at the moment.
This week’s action begins on Thursday morning with the opening three-ball of Smilla Tarning Sønderby, Sára Kousková and Maiken Bing Paulsen.
Olivia Mehaffey gets her opening round of play underway at 12:51 p.m. from the 10th tee alongside England’s Liz Young and Frenchwoman Emie Peronnin.
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