Grace Kim Wins the Evian Championship with an Epic Finish
Grace Kim starred in an unforgettable Sunday at the Evian Championship, sealing her first victory in an LPGA major with a series of spectacular shots. The Australian golfer demonstrated her composure by achieving an eagle to force a playoff and then, on the second extra hole, repeating the feat to defeat Jeeno Thitikul.
Kim, with a two-foot eagle putt on the 18th hole, par 5, which gave her a 67 under par, seemed as surprised as the rest when she holed a 12-foot eagle putt to win the playoff. The 24-year-old covered her mouth with her hand, stood still, and then burst out laughing.
Thitikul’s biggest challenge was English amateur Lottie Woad, who came from winning the Irish Women’s Open and at one point led the Evian Resort course. Woad finished with 64 strokes and waited to see if it was enough.Grace Kim kisses the Evian Championship trophy after securing her first LPGA Tour victory.Woad was looking to become the first amateur to win a major since Catherine Lacoste at the 1967 U.S. Women’s Open.
Thitikul birdied the 17th hole to take the lead, and the Thai player was close to getting her first major when she came up short of the pond and hit a wedge to eight feet on the final hole.
But Kim appeared, launching a metal from the street towards the green. The ball rolled down the slope until it was two feet from the eagle to tie for the lead. Thitikul’s birdie putt for the title missed to the right. She finished with 67 strokes and joined Kim with 14 under par 270, one ahead of Woad and Minjee Lee (68).
Back at the 18th in the playoff, Thitikul looked like a winner again when Kim’s second shot bounced off a cart path, over some rocks and into the pond. Thitikul was just left of the green in two.
Kim recovered and managed a chip for birdie crossing the green.
Thitikul had to make an eight-foot birdie putt to extend the playoff, which she did. Playing the 18th for the third time, Kim again offered another beauty over the pond and onto the green to about 12 feet.
Thitikul, who had small insects buzzing around her ball in the collar of a bunker, made a weak chip to about six feet. She could only watch as Kim finished it with an eagle.
This extended what is already a record streak in the 75-year history of the LPGA Tour, the 18th consecutive tournament to start a season with a different winner. There are also 13 different winners in the last 13 majors.
Kim won for the second time on the LPGA, adding to her title in Hawaii two years ago.
