Jiyai Shin won the 2010 Evian Masters on the last hole with her final putt.

As Jiyai Shin and Morgan Pressel, the two last players on the course, made their way to the 18th green the contest was still wide open. Na Yeon Choi and the young Alexis Thompson stormed back into contention on the back nine to finish at -13. Morgan and Jiyai were also both on -13 as they came on to the green. A play-off seemed more than likely. However Jiyai Shin had other ideas. As the furthest from the hole she played first and sank a birdie putt. The pressure was on Morgan Pressel who also needed a birdie to force a play-off. Unfortunately she missed the putt. The 2010 Evian Masters was over and the winner was Jiyai Shin, the first Korean to win the tournament. Congratulations!

Morgan Pressel teed off at 12:40 in her bid to win the 2010 Evian Masters.

A chilly start to the day was soon dispelled by radiant sunshine. Morgan Pressel started her final round steadily with four birdies before an eagle at the fifth put her two shots ahead of her nearest rival. After the first nine holes, she was at –14, ahead of her nearest rival Jiyai Shin. With nine holes to go, can she keep the lead? Will one of her rivals be able to launch a serious challenge?

Six lucky amateurs got the chance to play the 18th green with three professional players.

Diana Luna, Mariajo Uribe and Alexis Thompson teamed up with our lucky winners in a sudden death pitch and putt. With a lot of spectators still in the stands, the pressure to perform was on! But with the support of the professionals, our six winners all managed excellent putts that impressed all present! The photo shows one of the winner putting under the watchful eye of Diana Luna.

On the course, Gwladys Nocera and Mika Mayazato both faded, with Mayazoto finishing at -7 and Nocera finishing at -4 after some bad luck in the bunkers. The lead is currently held by Morgan Pressel who played a great round of -67 including an eagle at 18! She is currently at -11, two shots clear of Jiyai Shin and Jeong Jang, who both put in very solid performances. The last round promises to be very exciting, as it seems that anything is possible on this course!

On Saturday afternoon, Melissa Reid visited the Societe Generale skybox by the 18th green.

The English golfer, who topped the leader board on Thursday and finished -2 today, -with two consecutive birdies on 17 and 18- came to the Societe Generale skybox where she met Chairman and CEO Frédéric Oudéa and chatted to clients.

We wish her good luck for tomorrow!

One of the Group’s objectives as Presenting Sponsor is to bring golf to people.

Just next to the course, down a short path, is the Swinch village where the sponsors have their stands. This is where Societe Generale presents its various golf-based events. At Putt for Charity, beginners and more experienced golfers can attempt a putt and maybe win a prize and raise money for the Breast Cancer Foundation.
In the games area, pros are on hand by a practice area to give experienced golfers tips and present basic techniques to beginners.
At the Group’s stand, golfers who are over 18 and with an index below 36 can try and win of three chances to play the 18th hole with one of Gwladys Nocera, Alexis Thompson and Mariajo Uribe. An unforgettable event for the winners of Play with a Pro!

It was cold and cloudy on the course this morning but the weather is improving and the sun is out. In these improved conditions, there have already been three Birdies for Charity before midday!

With a cut at three over par, 79 players made it through to the third round.

After the interruptions due to the rain, the end of the day was rich in excitement as Gwladys Nocera played an excellent round, finishing five under par and leaving her in second place! Only an unlucky bogey on the 18th prevented her from sharing the lead at the half way point. The French player is just one shot behind Japan’s Mika Miyazato (cf. photo) who also went round in five under par.
The third round starts at 7:15 on Saturday morning, with Myazato and Nocera teeing off last at 12:48. The weather forecast is for a sunny weekend, much to the relief of both players and spectators!

The Evian Masters magazine spoke to the Head of Group Communications while she was at Evian.

Societe Generale and golf go back a long way! Why have you chosen to invest in women’s golf and in particular in the Evian Masters?
Women’s golf is consistent with the strategy of the Group, which has partnered golf since 2001. For many years, Societe Generale has been involved in women’s causes and is committed to the notion of diversity. Sport, femininity and diversity seemed a natural and particularly interesting combination to us. Our partnership with the Evian Masters is in line with this thinking. It reflects our determination and enthusiasm to participate in the international exposure of a tournament that is in permanent progression.

What actions do you undertake as Presenting sponsor?
We contribute to the promotion of the tournament in all areas, with the public, media, players and guests… both in terms of our presence as well as services and events. We like to bring down barriers, for example by bringing amateurs and pros together at our Play with a Pro event, to promote the discovery of the game and golf coaching, while also investing in charity events and the notion of solidarity. Societe Generale always plays an important civic role.

Meanwhile, at 15:30 on Friday, play is still suspended due to stormy weather at Evian...

The spots of rain at about 10:00 turned into a solid downpour causing play to be delayed for one hour.

The rain also caused a sudden drop in temperature and the players could be seen putting on their waterproofs and windproofs. What we tend to forget as spectators is that their hands can get very cold, which can affect their grip.

Before the rain caused play to be postponed, four groups made it past hole 15 but the difficult playing conditions meant that there were no birdies for charity. Play is set to resume, and let’s hope that improved weather in the afternoon will reverse this trend!

A quiet start to a busy day.

Play started at 6:50. There are few people. The Evian staff are preparing the course and a slow but steady stream of courtesy cars start dropping off journalists, photographers and players. The only noise is the hum of golf carts.
The sky is cloudy but it’s not cold and the suns rays peak through occasionally, promising a hot day later.
The golfers are playing in the same groups as yet but the order of play is reversed. So the late risers who missed the early groups yesterday morning can watch them on the first tee at around midday. As for the overnight leaders, Sun-Ju Ahn tees off at 9:42, whereas Morgan Pressel and Melissa Reid both tee off after 13:00.

Despite the heavy showers at the end of the day, the first round was completed and the crowds gathered to see Zinedine Zidane play football.

The rain started to fall at around 18:00 leaving some of the players to fight their way back to the clubhouse. The only victim though was Societe Generale’s Play with a Pro contest. Baptiste, Boris and Joel, the three winners from the 240 participants, will have to wait for their chance to play the 18th with three of the golfers.

There were 20 birdies on hole 15 today, raising 3,000 euros for the Breast Cancer Foundation via Societe Generale’s Birdie for Charity initiative. In the Swinch village, over 400 euros was also raised at the Group’s Putt for Charity event for the public. Céline Malot from the Breast Cancer Foundation explained that the funds raised would go straight into research for fighting breast cancer.
At the end of play, the focus moved to the charity football match organised by Zinedine Zidane to raise funds for ELA, an association that combats Leukodystrophy. Societe Generale’s Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, Fréderic Oudéa, played on a side including David Ginola, Laurent Blanc and Zinedine Zidane against a team of players and caddies. Despite the rain, Mr. Oudéa enjoyed every minute, and put together some very swift attacks down the side with Bixente Lizarazu.
Further rain is forecast for tomorrow and we will see if it affects Morgan Pressel, Melissa Reid and Sun-Ju Ahn’s defence of their lead after they both played a first round 66. France’s Gwladys Nocera is only three shots of the pace though!!

After finishing her round at one under, three times Evian winner Helen Alfredsson took the time to meet Societe Generale clients.

After a steady morning’s golf marked by the good starts of Morgan Pressel and Melissa Reid (-6 after 18) and a disappointing round by Laura Davies (+9), there was a flurry of excitement as Rama Yade, French sports minister, arrived at Evian.

The Societe Generale clients in the sponsors’ area were then treated to a Q&A session with the legendary Swedish golfer Helen Alfredsson, who talked about her round and her hopes for this year. She also talked about 15-year old US prodigy Alexis Thompson and the importance of not exposing her too much at such a young age. Helen, who lived in Paris briefly, admitted that she did not speak much French but agreed to take lessons if Caroline Guillaumin, Societe Generale’s Head of Communication, took up golf!

After lunch, Golf pro Eric Marqueton took clients on a guided tour of the course, with regular stops to watch various stages of play.

The first players teed off this morning at 6:50

The 111 golfers started teeing off in groups of three at 6:50 this morning. And there was an eagle on the first hole of the day from Aoyoma. This does not necessarily mean that the course is easy as birdies on the first by Natalie Gulbis and Cristie Kerr prove. In the photo you can see the defending champion and world N°1 Ai Miyazato, who’s playing in the same group as Paula Creamer and Kerr.

The last group tees off in the early afternoon, so there’s still a long way to go!

While the stars took centre stage for the Pro-Am, Societe Generale met the press.

The big news all morning long was that English actor Hugh Grant was playing in the morning round of the Pro-Am and after he came off the 18th, everyone was looking for him. His presence even overshadowed the arrival of French soccer star David Ginola.

Late afternoon, after interviews with French golfer Karine Icher and US stars Paula Creamer and Alexis Thompson, the journalists were invited to by Societe Generale to the Evian Masters Training Centre where they could spend two hours in the company of a Pro and perfect their chips, putts and drive. The only distraction was the presence of the ubiquitous Mr. Grant on the putting green!

In the evening, Societe Generale laid on a dinner for the journalists, where Caroline Guillaumin, the Head of Group Communication, spoke of the Group’s pride in being associated with such a prestigious event.

After pleasure comes business though, and tomorrow sees the start of the proper competition, with the 111 golfers all launching their bid to win the trophy!

For the 3rd year running, Société Générale is the Presenting sponsor of the Evian Masters ladies golf tournament, one of the most prestigious events on the ladies tour.