The Ladies’ European Tour (LET) season is finally up and running with its first two tournaments safely in the books and last week’s Italian Open was won by an 18-year old French amateur called Lucie Malchirand (photo above), who had just won the Portuguese Amateur Championship in her previous start.
Now, it’s not unheard of for an amateur to win a professional event (Bobby Jones managed it quite regularly) but it is fairly rare and those who do triumph become members of a very exclusive club indeed. Without exception they are all already players of pedigree with several trophies and honours in their cabinets but winning at the professional level is a huge accomplishment for any amateur.
In last week’s blog I was celebrating Phil Mickelson’s sixth major victory at the age of almost 51. His first professional victory came way back in 1991 when still an amateur and 30 years later he’s still winning professional events – and majors at that. Perhaps this all lies ahead for Malchirand who has already represented her country with distinction and who played in the last Junior Solheim Cup.
She certainly doesn’t have to lift her eyes from French soil to find inspiration by the bucket-load. A role model is right there for her in her own country in the great Catherine Lacoste who stunned the golfing world with an incredible victory in the 1967 US Women’s Open, in my opinion one of the greatest-ever achievements by an amateur golfer.

Catherine Lacoste with the US Open trophy. Her name is never mentioned in this house without the words “the great” preceding it! [Photo: unknown provenance]
Perhaps one of the most heralded amateur winners of professional events over the last few years has been New Zealander Lydia Ko, who won no fewer than four times amongst the paid ranks before being able to accept a cheque. In 2012 she became the youngest winner on the LPGA tour when she won the Canadian Open, a title she successfully defended the following year. In early 2013 she won in her home country of New Zealand to become the youngest winner of an LET event and two years later she continued adding to her string of “youngest ever to…..” accomplishments by ascending to the No 1 world ranking. Now 23 years old and with 16 wins, including two majors, under her belt it’ll be interesting to see if she sticks to her avowed intention to retire from the game at the age of 30.

Lydia Ko has dealt beautifully with all that winning so much at such a young age brings [Photo: LPGA.com]
Records from the early days of the LET are notoriously sketchy, even non-existent in many instances, so I’m relying on memory here when I think of the last amateur prior to Amy to win on the Ladies’ European Tour. If I’ve overlooked anyone – apologies, but I think that honour must go to Gillian Stewart, one of Scotland’s finest, who won the 1984 European Open at The Belfry. As with many of the other amateur winners, that victory was a portend of things to come, ushering in a very successful career in the paid ranks.

Ah, it only seems like yesterday. Gill Stewart with the European Open trophy – but no cheque! [Photo: courtesy of Gill.]
Can’t wait. Can’t wait to take the money!
I first came across Catherine Lacoste at the European team Champioships in Sweden in 1969. Representing France I remember she had an epic battle with Ann Irvin of England in the singles. Catherine seemed to me to be the absolute epitome of how good a lady golfer could ever be amateur or professional! Maybe I was correct at that time but time waits for no man or woman or golfer so comparisons are perhaps futile. Wonderful memories though!
Catherine Lacoste was indeed a terrific golfer at her peak. Shortly after she won the US Open I had the honour of caddying for my friend Ann Irvin when she played against Catherine in the 1967 Vagliano Trophy at Royal Lytham & St Annes G.C. It was a fantastic game with them both going round in 68 and finishing all square. Sadly it wasn’t quite enough to stop the Continent Team defeating the Great Britain & Ireland team by a single point. Happy memories!