Golf
The Societe Generale Group has been the official partner of the French Golf Federation since 2001, and of the French Open since 2004. It is a sponsor of the Evian Masters international women’s tournament and is committed to supporting golf at both professional and amateur level.
With the Group, Societe Generale Private Banking organises many golfing events, and sponsors four professional players: Angel Cabrera, Thomas Levet, Christian Cévaër and Jeev Milkha Singh.
Commitment to golf
Born in 1968 in France, Thomas Levet turned professional at the age of 20. Winning the British Grand Masters in 2001 instantly made him one of the international golfing elite. He confirmed his position in 2002 with a second place at the British Open and joined the PGA Tour in 2003. In 2004, his talent really took off as he won the Scottish Open. His impressive results made him France’s No.1, and Europe’s No.5, qualifying him for the Ryder Cup, which he won with the European team. Coming 13th in the US Masters (the first French golfer to ever achieve this) Thomas Levet launched his career on the American circuit in 2005.
Christian Cevaër was born in Nouméa (New Caledonia) in 1970. His passion for golf was encouraged by Exalt Hopu, and he played in Tahiti for two years, with ambitions of becoming a professional.
With a handicap of 6, and full of determination, he attended Stevenson School in Pebble Beach, California, where he could both study and refine his game. Four years later he won a scholarship to Stanford University, where he was coached to a high level while playing with the French amateur team every summer. His first big break came in 1989 when he won the French amateur championship with a +2 handicap. He also won renown on the European golfing scene when he won the Junior British Open in 1988.
After his military service in 1993 he became a professional golfer, launching his career with a bang by becoming French champion.
He then won the European pre-qualifications, opening the way to the 1994 European Challenge Tour. He reached 24th place, thus confirming his position as a serious contender.
In 1995 he joined the PGA European Tour, taking fourth place in the Scottish PGA Championship.
One of his goals for 2004 was to win one of the European Tour tournaments. Christian won the Spanish Open and reached fourth place in the Volvo Masters, which brings together the 60 best players of the season. In 2007 he ended in second place in the Scandinavian Masters and fourth in the Madeira Island Open. In 2008 he got to third place in the Omega European Masters, and in 2009 was Champion of the European Open. In 2010, he ended in fourth place in the Mallorca Open. In July 2012, he won the French Open championship.
His main assets are his sharp analytical skills, his strategy on the course and his short game.
The first Indian golfer to qualify for The European Tour continued to compete at the very highest level in 2009, finishing fourth in the WGC-CA Championship – one of three top ten finishes which helped him to 34th position in the inaugural Race to Dubai.
His third European Tour career victory came in 2008 in Austria. A consistently strong season saw him finish in the top ten eight times, worth 12th place on the money list. In April 2007, became the first Indian golfer to participate in the Masters Tournament and acquitted himself well, finishing in a tie for 37th place at Augusta National.
Off the course, the highlight came when he was granted the Padma Shri by the Indian government, an award – the equivalent of a knighthood - given to Indian citizens to recognise their distinguished contribution in various spheres of public life, including the arts, industry and sports. The son of former Olympic sprinter Milkha Singh, he really hit his stride in 2006 with wins in the Volvo China Open and the season-ending Volvo Masters at Valderrama. Also enjoyed huge success in Asia, where he finished Number One on the 2006 Order of Merit, a feat he repeated in 2008 thanks largely to his Barclays Singapore Open victory.
Angel Cabrera, born in 1969 in Cordoba, Argentina, began his golfing career as a caddie. He became a professional player at the age of 20 and over the last few years has been one of the leaders on the European circuit. The winner of the BMW PGA Championship in 2005, in 2007 he won the US Open ahead of Tiger Woods, the Barclays Singapore Open Championship, the Center Open Championship (CGC) and the Argentina Masters. A golfer of legendary tenacity, to date he is the only Latin American player to have won a Grand Slam tournament on the American continent.
