FRANCE (April 27, 2007) - Forty years after France’s Catherine Lacoste become the only amateur to win the U.S. Women’s Open, amateur Debbie Jamgochian of Winged Foot traveled to France to claim the Lacoste-organized 9th International Senior Women’s Open.

The championship was played at the Chantaco GC and drew a very accomplished field. En route to her victory, Jamgochian defeated Cecilia Mourgue d’Algue, the medalist at last year’s USGA Senior Women’s Amateur, and French professional Anne-Marie Palli, a two-time winner on the LPGA Tour. Mourgue d’Algue will be familiar to Met Area golfers as long-time member of the French International team that has participated in the French-American Challenge Matches against the MGA.

Other participants include LPGA Tour member Catherine Panton of Scotland, Denise Lavigne of Canada, Corinne Reybroeck of Belgium, Rica Comstock of the United States, Nathalie Jeanson of France and Spain’s Ana Monfort. 

The championship was organized by Catherine Lacoste, the daughter of Simone Thion de la Chaume, winner of the 1927 British Women’s Amateur, and René Lacoste. As mentioned in Catherine Lacoste’s speech during the prize giving, “Forty years ago I went to the States and took the title of the U.S. Championship, it is only fair, and of course very symbolic to me, that Debbie wins this Open on our golf course in France this year.”