 |
Former World No. 1 Lorena Ochoa of Mexico will make a limited return to competitive golf by playing in the Lacoste Ladies Open de France on October 4-7 at Chantaco Golf club in Saint-Jean-de-Luz, Aquitaine.
 |
| Azahara Muñoz of Spain |
Ochoa, 30, retired in 2010 and gave birth to a son last December. Later this year, she will play in events in Norway, France and Mexico.
Her schedule for early September features a two-day match-play event in Oslo, Norway. Ochoa and current World No. 1 Yani Tseng of Taiwan will face Norway’s Suzann Pettersen and former World No. 1 Annika Sorenstam of Sweden.
She will play in the event which bears her name, the Lorena Ochoa Invitational in her hometown of Guadalajara, Mexico, on November 8-11.
Ochoa said, through translation: “I am very grateful to the organising committee of the Lacoste Ladies Open de France for extending this invitation and I am excited to be returning to play in an official tournament for the first time since returning in April 2010. This will no doubt give me a basis to perform very well in my own tournament in November. A few weeks ago I participated in the CVS Caremark Charity Classic, a tournament in the United States for the benefit of several foundations. I was excited because my game is still at a very good level.”
Fellow Lacoste ambassador Azahara Muñoz of Spain, currently 14th on the Rolex World Rankings, has also been confirmed to play in the 21st edition of the Lacoste Ladies Open de France this October, along with the French champion Patricia Meunier-Lebouc, who has joined the organisation as Ambassador of the Lacoste Ladies Open of France.
This year the tournament will celebrate five years of partnership with Lacoste. In 2011, the brand decided to strengthen its links with women’s golf by becoming a sporting event’s title sponsor for the first time in its history.
As a result, the tournament is moving from Paris International Golf Club to Chantaco, the historic stronghold of the Lacoste family, located at the heart of the Basque region.
 |
| The Lacoste Ladies Open of France 2012 poster |
Simone Thion de la Chaume, wife of the famous tennis player Rene Lacoste, was one of the leading figures at Chantaco in the first half of the 20th century and could often be found on the 5833 metre course, created by Harry Colt at the foot of La Rhune, the mythical summit of the Pyrénées-Atlantiques.
For the first time in the history of the brand, the Lacoste spring / summer collection 2012 focuses on women with an informal, casual and feminine style, which remains faithful to the brand and its UNCONVENTIONAL CHIC sports heritage.
The Lacoste Ladies Open of France 2012 poster, unveiled on Thursday, July 5 during the Alstom Open de France, is an adaptation of this theme as can be seen here.
