Stoke-on-Trent’s Lisa Hall, in only her second appearance on the tour this season, was the best of the four British players in the elite field and finished in eighth place on one over par after a closing 72.

Yorkshire’s Rebecca Hudson, a winner in Hungary last week, also shot 72 for three over par, Hampshire’s Kirsty Taylor was on 11 over after a 76 and Wales’ Eleanor Pilgrim was on 13 over par following a 75.

Nocera had never won a professional tournament when she played for Europe in last year’s Solheim Cup (she showed her class with a singles win over Cristie Kerr) but she has now emulated last year’s Order of Merit winner Iben Tinning with three wins in one season.

The last player to win four times in one year was England’s Laura Davies in 1995.

Nocera set out in the final round with a four-shot lead and virtually secured the trophy and clinched the €36,700 top prize with five birdies in the first eight holes. The run also included a bogey at the fourth, while she dropped another shot at the 11th.

Kemp closed with a fine 68 for four-under 212 and her best result on tour, while Sweden’s Maria Hjorth (67), a two-time English Open Champion, and another French player, Ludivine Kreutz, who had a best of tournament 66, tied for third on three-under 213.

Nocera will now head to her home country’s Evian Masters, one of the biggest tournaments in women’s golf, with high expectations.

“It feels great to have won for a third time this year and it does give me extra confidence going into Evian,” she said.

“It will be great to get to test my game against the very best in the world.”

Headlining the Evian line-up are US Open champion Annika Sorenstam, 16-year-old Michelle Wie and another American teenager, Paula Creamer, who won the title by eight shots from Wie last year.