The Lalla Meryem Cup

When they set foot in Rabat, the proettes of the Ladies European Tour found at last one of their favorite tournaments of the season. Since 2019, the Lalla Meryem Cup, created in 1993 by His Late Majesty  King Hassan II, has been put on hold like most tournaments around the world due to the Covid 19 pandemic.

Lalla Meryem Cup has a special place in the champions’ heart. There are several reasons for this. First, it is the permanence of the site. This tournament is historically rooted in Rabat, although it was relocated in Mohammedia and Agadir during the upgrading of Royal Golf Dar Es Salam courses. This tournament is indeed inextricably linked to Hassan II Trophy as they share the same time and place- a mixing that makes it a particular tournament. As evidence of its relevance, this concept is now duplicated in Australia and Sweden. Like Hassan II Trophy, Lalla Meryem Cup knew how to evolve, in tune with professional golf, from an exhibition of a dozen players to an event that brings together a hundred with the cut cleaver after two rounds.

The second reason is the quality of the site and the course. Since its inauguration in 1971, Royal Golf Dar Es Salam has been acknowledged as one of the great clubs on planet golf. Moreover, the upgrading of the Blue Course, completed by a new finish at the 18th, makes it one of the best golfing tests of the season. The third reason is the singularity of its trophy, a precious minaudière laid in its cabinet that is a unique award in the world of women’s golf. Finally, its record includes great champions such as Marie-Laure de Lorenzi, Laura Davies, 87 victories worldwide, Gwladys Nocera, former European n°1; or Ariya Jutanugarn, winner of two major tournaments. Not to mention the participation of Norway’s Suzann Pettersen or Sweden’s Annika Sörenstam, the only player to score a 59 in a tournament. All this is proof of the prestige of the event.

This year, the Lalla Meryem Cup has a new savor. Since her victory at the Lacoste Ladies Open in France last September and her brilliant qualifying for the LPGA (American Women’s Tour) after a marathon of 12 rounds, Ines Laklalech embodies the hope of an entire nation for adding a Moroccan player’s name to the list of winners of the tournament for the first time. Inés, from Casablanca, is a member of the FRMG Excellence Centre, can draw inspiration from the Atlas Lions’ formidable journey at the last World Cup and embrace the motto: “Impossible is not Moroccan”.