They played on separate Tours on separate continents. But the bonds of sisterhood stretch across an ocean. And for Kim and Morgane Metraux of Lausanne, Switzerland, the longing to compete together on the LPGA Tour drives both of them to their highest levels.
“I’m super excited (for Morgane),” Kim, who played on the LET in 2021, said when asked about her sister gaining LPGA Tour membership by finishing in the top-10 on the Epson Tour money list. “Now I'm going to try my best to join her.”
Kim is playing in Stage II of LPGA Q-School in Venice, Florida where she sits a shot out of the lead after round one. But one 4-under par 68 is not enough. She knows that from her season on the Ladies European Tour, and from following her sister.
“It's been hard to follow (Morgane’s progress) from afar,” Kim said. “I’m always refreshing the scoreboards, especially the last event, which was very stressful for us, looking from the outside because I wasn't on site. But yeah, definitely super excited for her and quite inspiring for myself, as well.”
The sisters are two years apart. Kim, the oldest at age 26, had one top-10 finish this year on the Ladies European Tour, a tie for third at the VP Bank Swiss Ladies Open in her homeland. Morgane, 24, won the Island Resort Championship on the Epson Tour back in June after a runner-up at the Casino del Sol Golf Classic and a tie for fifth at the Mission Inn Resort & Club Championship. She would post two more top-10s in September and a tie for 17th at the Epson Tour Championship to secure her LPGA Tour playing privileges for 2022.
The two love each other as only sisters can. They have been on the cover of magazines together and appeared in numerous European newspapers where they speak glowingly of each other. They also drive each other to be better.
“Always have,” Kim said. “Just haven't been together a lot this year. But we've always been super supportive of each other and whenever we get to practice together, we push each other as well. It's a great boost.”
Kim knows she’s at a bit of a disadvantage this week in the humid Florida heat playing a surface she hasn’t seen much. “I haven't played on Bermuda in a while, so that was the biggest change,” she said. “But other than that, I've been here before and played Q-School before, played Epson before, so it's not something that's too unknown for me. Definitely coming back on Bermuda was the biggest thing.”
It seems odd for a younger sibling to offer advice to an older sister. But Morgane did just that. She told Kim to, “just trust myself and go and do what I'm able to do, not to put too much pressure on myself and just play my game.”
She hopes to play her game with a little extra kick. Their father is caddying for Kim this week. And Morgane is supporting her every step of the way.
“Because she did it, I'm probably also able to do it myself,” Kim said. “So, yeah, definitely a good boost for me.”
)
)
)
)
