Patricia Meunier Lebouc overcame her nerves at the last to win the Ladies French Open by one shot from Raquel Carriedo and Asa Gottmo. Having flirted with the water on her second shot at 18, the 27-year-old hit the green with her third and two putted for par and the title.
"I was so nervous, even my tap-in for par was stressful," Lebouc said after she collected the £15,000 winner's cheque. "Having led going into the final round in last year's French Open and not won I am even more pleased to have made up for it this time."
It was never going to be plain sailing for the Parisian with three players tied on 14 under par going into the final day.
The front nine provided an exciting start to the final day's play, with Lebouc, Gottmo and Carriedo all taking turns at the top of the leaderboard. Lebouc was the first to pull aheadwhen she sunk a four foot birdie putt at the 141 yard third.
After all three players birdied the 448 yard par five fourth hole, it was left to Carriedo to pull level with Lebouc with a birdie at the following par five.
Lebouc had her chance to go to 17 under and take the outright lead at the next hole when Carriedo duffed her approach shot to the edge of the green, whilst the French player put hers to four feet. But the home favourite was unable to convert the birdie and the two stayed tied on 16 under.
Another missed chance at the par four seventh when Lebouc's five foot birdie putt lipped out and Carriedo must have been thinking it was her lucky day.
But it was Gottmo's turn to strike lucky at the par three eighth when she sunk a 60 foot putt from just short of the green to take her level with her playing partners once again.
All three were on 16 under going into the back nine, two ahead of second round leader, Christina Kuld, who had pulled back three shots to go to 14 under after nine.
It was Carriedo's turn to take the lead after 10, when she holed her birdie putt at the 153 yard par three. A bogey by Gottmo meant the three players were separated for the first time, with the Spaniard leading on 17 under.
Birdies by Gottmo and Lebouc at the par five 13th put the French player back to the top of the leaderboard once again and bogeys by Gottmo and Carriedo at the 17th gave Lebouc the outright lead on 17under going down the last.
The French player decided to play safe on the 488 yard dog leg 18th and took her six iron off the tee to ensure she set herself up with a clear second shot. Ironically she landed in apatch of ground under repair in the middle of the fairway, but a free drop ensured it was not a problem.
A pushed four iron with her second shot was not was she intended though, and with the ball lying in thick rough with water between it and the green, she said she did not feel at ease with her approach shot.
"I had 101 yards to the green and would normally use a nine iron, but because the ball was going to shoot out of the rough I took my pitching wedge and I was very relieved when it made it onto the green."
Carriedo and Gottmo put their approach shots to six and 30 feet respectively and it was up to them to hole their birdie putts if they were to force a play-off. The French crowd held their breath whilst Gottmo went for her birdie and watched the ball lip out. But it was Carriedo who was the greatest threat and Lebouc said she thought the Spaniard was going to get it.
"I was sure Raquel was going to get her birdie putt as she is a good putter. Luckily she didn't and I think it is good for golf that a French person won the French Open. I am very happy."
Alone in fourth position was the other great French hope, Marine Monnet, who had her second 65 of the tournament to finish on 15 under par. Christina Kuld tied with Gina Scott of New Zealand on 14 under.
The amateur prize was won by local French girl, Sandy Criquelion, who finished on 292, four over par.
271 P Meunier Lebouc (France) 69 66 67 69 (#15,000)
272
A Gottmo (Swe) 67 68 67 70, R Carriedo (Spa) 66 68 68 70 (#8,750 each)
273 M
Monnet (Fra) 75 65 68 65 (#5,400)
274 G Scott (Nzl) 71 73 65 65, C Kuld (Den) 68
65 72 69
275 S Mehra (Ind) 70 70 67 67
276 S Mendiburu (Fra) 69 70 71 66
277 V Van Ryckeghem (Bel) 72 71 69 65, M Verspieren (Fra) 72 68 69 68, A-M
Knight (Aus) 69 68 69 71
278 M Bustrom (Swe) 70 70 70 68, E Steen (Swe) 70 71 69 68
279 I Maconi (Ita)
68 67 74 70, N Moult 69 69 71 70, S Eklund (Swe) 69 70 69 71, L Fairclough 70 69
68 72
281 E Esterl (Ger) 67 72 73 69, I Tinning (Den) 70 69 70 72, K Taylor 72 67 70
72
282 K Orum (Den) 72 69 71 70, F Dassu (Ita) 65 74 72 71, L Kreutz (Fra) 74 69
66 73
283 L Brooky (Nzl) 76 69 70, L Wen Lin (Tai) 74 71 68 70
284 G Sergas (Ita) 73 70 73 68, M Arruti (Spa) 75 69 72 68, D Booker (Aus) 74
73 68 69, L Maritz (Rsa) 71 71 72 70, J Mills (Aus) 72 71 71 70, N Karlsson
(Swe) 72 72 69 71, J Van Hagen (Ned) 72 69 71 72, L Hed (Swe) 73 71 67 73
285 W Daden 68 78 71 68, M Adamson (Rsa) 73 74 70 68
286 J Leary (Aus) 73 72 74 67, E Ratcliffe 74 72 72 68, A Rogers 70 70 76 70,
J Forbes 75 71 68 72, M-L de Lorenzi (France) 67 73 73 73, R Kirkwood 72 71 70
73, H Hopkins (Australia) 70 69 72 75
287 C Dibnah (Aus) 73 69 73 72
288 V Stensrud (Nor) 75 69 74 70, V Roques (Fra) 75 71 71 71, S Arricau (Spa)
72 75 70 71
289 S Moon (USA) 74 71 72, S Dickens 74 69 72 74
290 R Nugent 71 76 74 69, M
Hageman (Ned) 72 72 73 73, D Reid 66 74 73 77
291 B Pestana (Rsa) 72 73 74 72, P
Sterner (Swe) 71 76 72 72, M Cosenza (Ita) 74 70 73 74<
292 S Criquelion (France) 73 74 74 71*<
293 M Hedberg (Swe) 74 72 74 73, S Lojdahl (Swe) 68 71 80, S Bennett 72 75 72
74
