Louise Reau, 19-year-old golfer from Biterroise, on her way to joining the France group

Louise Reau sera, à partir de jeudi, en présélection pour le groupe France. DR

Louise Reau est partie depuis un an aux USA pour parfaire sa pratique du golf, tout en continuant ses études. Elle a gagné 500 places au classement mondial amateur dame et envisage une carrière professionnelle.

At 19 years old, Louise Reau has been playing golf since the age of 7 or 8. With his father, then Pascal Vincent his trainer. "When I started, explains Louise, it was a bit for my father and then the passion started to come. It's a sport that requires a lot of patience, technique and it was good to follow my father." As the results arrived, it reinforced his decision to play golf, his sport and, why not, his profession.

She joins the France group

Today, Louise is fifth in the women's amateur ranking in France. "The coach of the French team contacted me recently. She suggested that I join the France group for possible selection by doing an internship starting June 6."

Louise will participate in the French women's championship in Lyon and qualification for the French team will be based on the results of the tournament and the course. "Nothing is certain. Nothing is decided, but I will give everything to take my chance. It's given to me, I'll do everything I can to grab it."

Become a pro

Louise has one goal, to become professional and join the pro circuit. To do this, she gave herself enormous resources and left France to follow an academic and sporting course in the United States. "I wanted this to happen as quickly as possible, but now and above all I want to finish my studies in the USA and then I will consider a professional career. I have been on a division one golf team in Georgia for a year. To stay there, you need both academic and sporting results."

The first year is a sort of common sporting and academic core. Students do not choose the subjects they will study. You must therefore wait until the second year before studying selected subjects. And Louise will start sports management studies next year.

She played every tournament

Every morning, Louise prepares physically to participate in five national tournaments per semester. In her class of nine students, only five are taken for each competition. Louise was, all year long, among them. Knowing that a selection depends as much on training results as on academic results. "I’ve played everything this year. Sport is very important but you need good academic results. And if she arrived in Georgia it’s because the relationship went very well with the coach. Plus, they just have totally amazing training areas."

A jump in the world rankings

In the end, Louise can devote three months of the year to her season in France. She always takes the opportunity to return to her club in Béziers even if she is a member of the Toulouse golf club with which she has just participated in the French team championships. There are three years left in university in the USA and for the moment Louise does not yet know whether she will pursue a career across the Atlantic or not. She takes advantge. She discovers the country. Since she left, her World Amateur ranking has gone from 650th place to 149th place.

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