The day after earning full LPGA Tour status for 2022, Pauline Roussin-Bouchard lives up to expectations as the rising star of French golf. A look back at the “phenomenon's” beginnings and her track record within The Amundi Evian Championship Galaxy.

Her golfing debuts & the Haribo Kids Cup (2010, 2011 and 2012):

Born on 5 July 2000, the Carquerianne (Var region) native began playing golf at the age of 3. Pauline Roussin-Bouchard rapidly became one of the best young golfers of her generation.

At the Haribo Kids Cup, the leading golf competition for the under 12s, held each year in Evian, Pauline Roussin-Bouchard stood out from the other players.

Thanks to what were remarkable performances for a child on the course at the Evian Resort Golf Club, she took part in the final in 2010 and won two years running in 2011 and 2012! Promising results for a player who would go on to consistently dazzle the French golf scene.

The Amundi Evian Juniors Cup (2014):

Since 2007, the Juniors Cup, now officially renamed The Amundi Evian Juniors Cup, brings together the world's top players in the under 14 category. An incredible chance for the young talents to meet the international elite and measure themselves against them.

Obviously, in 2014, Pauline Roussin-Bouchard was a member of the France U14 team and took part in this prestigious competition, which a few years prior, saw competitors include the now famous players Justin Thomas and Jordan Spieth. During the competition, team France was six shots behind the USA and the Czech Republic, and absolutely needed to score two very low rounds to catch up with the two leaders.

Unfortunately, the four young French players (Mathilde Claisse, Dimitry Mary, Pauline Roussin-Bouchard and Thomas Boulanger) finished the second and final round with an aggregate score of 215(-1), not enough to trouble the Americans and Czechs, but sufficient to take third place. Pauline Roussin-Bouchard made her entrance on the international scene, paving the way for the player from the Var!

The Amundi Evian U18 (2017) :

In 2017, the tournament’s executive committee launched the Evian Junior Event, now known as The Amundi Evian U18, and the main feature of the partnership between the AJGA and The Amundi Evian Championship, which offers an incredible springboard to the top French amateurs in the U18 category. No surprise then to find the talented Pauline Roussin-Bouchard again at this event.

Within The Amundi Evian Championship Galaxy, which is totally devoted to bringing to the fore and providing support to the champions of tomorrow, this event is a crucial stage in the future of these young talents, providing a fantastic opportunity to gain access to the US universities.

Pauline Roussin-Bouchard finished 3rd, just missing out on the title, but with her focus still very much on the future, in particular when she took the 133rd place in the World Amateur Golf Ranking in 2018. Between 2018 and 2020, her amateur ranking just went higher and higher, until she reached the first place in 2020, where she stayed for 34 weeks!

Jabra Ladies Open (2019) :

2019 saw the return of Pauline Roussin-Bouchard to the fairways at the Evian Resort Golf Club after a 2-year absence. The French player received an invitation from the organising committee to join the elite of European Golf and compete in the 4th Jabra Ladies Open.

In the end, England’s Annabel Dimmock defeated the 18-year-old French player, still an amateur. The two players qualified for The Evian Championship 2019.

At the time, the golf journalists wrote:

“Pauline Roussin-Bouchard, who has already won 3 amateur titles this season plus a 4th place in the ANA Inspiration Junior and a 7th place finish at the Annika Invitational, has just clinched an amazing opportunity, that of qualifying for The Evian Championship 2019. ”

“She will join the exclusive field of players for the Major, which begins on Thursday 25 July on a course she knows well, after having competed in and won the final of the Haribo Kids Cup at the age of 10, 11 and 12. A new source of pride for The Evian Championship galaxy. ”

The Amundi Evian Championship (2019 & 2021)

At the 2 previous editions of the major championship in Evian (2020 was cancelled due to the pandemic), Pauline Roussin-Bouchard came to measure herself against the top women players in the world.

In 2019, she didn’t make the cut, but was able to gain valuable insight for her budding career.:

“Everything will be of use to me, of course. For the moment, it’s too soon to say what I’ll take away from this tournament. There's surely some positives, a lot of negatives, but that’s always a learning experience. I’ll try to hold on to everything good. ”

In 2021, Pauline Roussin-Bouchard played the whole tournament and finished 38th, the best amateur, tied with Jessica Korda. At the end of the tournament, there was a sense of accomplishment. The player, trained by Alain Alberti, who shot 71 (par) on Saturday after 74 (+3) on the Friday, responded perfectly in the final sprint, producing a superb, error-free round of 68(-3) with three birdies between holes 11 and 18.

In July 2021, she said:

“It was a great day. The hard work paid off in the final round. It’s a good result, for sure. It’ll help with deciding on what to work on next and above all to look back at the result and say to myself it’s my best finish at a major. It’s one more experience for the majors ahead. I hope there will be many! ”

Q-Series & LPGA Tour :

After eight rounds in Alabama, the Q-Series gave their verdict on Sunday 12 December 2021 as to who has earned LPGA Tour status for 2022. Two French players join the US first division next year: Pauline Roussin-Bouchard and Agathe Laisné.

The first, Pauline Roussin-Bouchard, brought excitement to spectators by taking the lead in the Q-Series right from the 3rd round. The only player to score under 70 during the first seven rounds, she set off in the lead on Sunday, well ahead of the player in 20th place; the Top 20 earn full status on the LPGA Tour. In the end, she finished her tournament with a round in 72 (par) in second place.

In a nutshell, Pauline Roussin-Bouchard is definitely going to play on the LPGA Tour in 2022, competing opposite and alongside all of the leading players on the planet, before, no doubt, a return to the fairways at the Evian Resort Golf Club.