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| Nocera – finished second |
At the par-five 16th, she was on in two and safely two putted for birdie. She then scored an easy eagle at the par-five 17th after she put her second shot to eight feet.
“I felt sick at the beginning of the day. Perhaps that helped me to stay cool,” said the 33-year-old, who earned a first prize of €45,000. “I usually have quite a lot of energy and that can allow me to get tense, which isn’t always the best thing.
“After I holed the putt on ten I saw Ludivine (Kreutz) on the course and she gestured that she was going to slit my throat, so that was quite funny. You know I had a tough year in the States so I’m very happy to come back like this.”
After a phenomenal year in Europe in 2004, when she finished third on the Money List; Arricau endured a miserable year playing on the US LPGA Tour in 2005. She played in 17 events in America but made only six cuts and it was an experience she says she will not be repeating any time soon.
“I like to have a good time with my friends and I’m 33 years old – I want to have fun with my golf. If I can play in the majors then I will but for me it was a nightmare – seriously. I was always alone. I didn’t like the lifestyle.
“If I had been to school in the States then maybe I would have enjoyed it more but I prefer the life here in Europe. The sea view, the perfect hotel, the lovely food; in the States it’s all about the golf.
“I think my goal for next year could be making it into The 2007 European Solheim Cup Team because I earned a lot of points in 2004 but then I went to America and you get double the points in Solheim Cup years.”
Should she qualify, it would be the first time that Arricau will have played in the biennial, transatlantic event.
Former Solheim Cup player Nocera, who made her debut in the competition in 2005, had another superb round of 70 today but had to settle for second place after she finished on four-under-par. It was her sixth consecutive top five finish of the season.
Australian rookie Sarah Kemp made a strong charge in the race for the LET’s rookie of the Year title. She finished in outright third on three-under-par after a final round of 72. England’s Rebecca Hudson was fourth on two-under after a final round of 69 and Becky Brewerton, who was tied for the lead with Kemp after the second round, had a 74 to finish in fifth place on one-under-par. Sweden’s Helena Alterby finished in sixth position on level par after a 74.
