Lucquin and Billot, a 18 year friendship

European Tour winner Jeff Lucquin and Jean-Nicolas Billot “Bib” (c) Tristan Jones

European Tour winner Jeff Lucquin and Jean-Nicolas Billot “Bib”, a friendship born in 1997 after Jeff won the semi-finale of Junior French Championship on 20^th green.

Jean-Nicolas Billot and Jeff Lucquin are both born in 1978. They first met in 1997 when they had to play against each other on the Albatros course of Golf National, host of 2018 Ryder Cup.

“We had a great day” said Billot. “Jeff was leading 1 up teeing the 18^th but he did not play well” Lucquin recalled “Yes, drive in the water, then again so I told him, – Ok, let’s go to the first hole – We did not finish the 18^th. I finally won the par 3 second hole but I did not jump to celebrate my win, we just hug and he told me that I really have to win the finale, which I did”

Billot added “In 1997, no mobile phone and I had to leave, I could not be there for the finale. So I gave him a phone card with some credit and I asked him to call me to tell me the results. He hold a 20 meter putt on the 34^th hole and did it!”

Jeff Lucquin is a former European Tour player, he played 8 full season from 2003 after getting graduate from Challenge Tour. A wrist injury stopped his career in 2011 and he is back to competition with the goal to recover his full rights on main Tour. Lucquin won the Omega European Masters in Crans sur Sierre in 2008 defeating in a play off current World Number One Rory McIlroy after first extra hole.

“The Alps Tour players are really better than 10 years ago. The level of game has improved a lot and even if the course this week is difficult, I am sure one of them will score 6 or 7 under. They hit longer too and as I do. Today I played my practise round with 2 young players and we had the same distance but yesterday I played with Matt Pavon, there is a football pitch between my ball and his!”

The inaugural Tunisian Open Golf takes place in El Kantouai golf course. The composite 18 holes are the same as the last Tunisian Open on European Tour schedule in 1985 won by England’s Stephen Bennet with -3 total.

From El Kantaoui
Agathe Séron