You really don't appreciate the beauty of the world until you go to places you've never been. France had some of the most spectacular views I have ever seen. We basically played on a mountain in a city called Evian les-Bains where we overlooked Lake Geneva for several holes of the course. Pictures really wouldn't do them justice! I finished tied for 30th, which was my best finish in an LPGA event as well as a major. I am always looking to get better, so helpfully we can play and finish better next time. It was a great week playing against the best in the world, and I hope to be back next year.
My family and I were definitely fish out of water over there. I'm glad most people spoke English! With my two years of French I did pick up on words and phrases from time to time which was fun. We all had Bonjour (hello) and Merci (thank you) down by the time we left! It was funny to hear us attempt to use French phrases, but everyone obviously knew we weren't from their neck of the woods.
Since arriving home from France, I have never been so excited to have Chick-fil-A and sweet tea. Not to say the food was not good in France, but nothing beats some chicken and sweet tea! We had pizza probably half the nights we were there. I'm not a huge adventurer when it comes to food, so pizza was something I knew and trusted.
We are gearing up for the final stretch of events on the Epson Tour. First up, Mystic Creek, and wow it is a beauty. I had the opportunity to play it last year on a sponsor exemption. It is a tough track that requires precision on every aspect of your game. It is a true test of golf, and I can't wait to be back! The last two we finish out with are in Florida. I am not playing IOA, but look forward to finishing out the year in Daytona Beach at the Tour Championship. The final stage of Qualifying School is here, so I have seen it as well. It will be fun playing the last two events on my schedule on courses I have played before. It definitely relieves a little stress at the beginning of the week to have already seen the course. Less note taking hopefully!
It is amazing how quickly this season has flown by. I feel like we were just in California a few months ago! It has been a great year to say the least, and we are a few events away from seasons end. With two events left for me, I'm hoping to play some solid golf and have some good vibes going into offseason and prep for next year! It's a tight race for the top 10, so follow along as we finish up the year!
Meilleurs voeux,
(Best wishes)
Ally McDonald
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