What an outcome at the Amundi Evian Championship. A Sunday that creates fans, a sensational finish, and a great winner. Three names stood out in the decisive round of the year’s fourth Major: the amateur Lottie Woad (-13), the eternal contender Jeeno Thitikul (-14), and the unexpected winner of her first Major, Grace Kim (-14). Woad dazzled, Thitikul let it slip, and Grace Kim reigned, summarising the last hours at the Evian Golf Club. Ruffels (-10) and Gainer (-8), who started as leaders on the decisive day, succumbed to the pressure of such a tournament.
What the Australian Kim did in the last six holes of the tournament is breathtaking. She recovered a three-shot deficit in the last four holes and achieved a seven-under-par in the last six flags, considering the two playoff holes. Let’s break it down, miracle by miracle.
18th tee. Thitikul is the tournament leader at fourteen under par after a magnificent birdie on the penultimate hole. Lottie Woad is already in the clubhouse with one less stroke. The amateur missed a clear two-metre chance to finish with a birdie. The third player in the mix is a silent Grace Kim, who arrived at the tee at -12, two strokes behind. It seemed like a battle between Thitikul and Woad, but it was far from it.
The Thai player chooses a more conservative strategy and doesn’t go for the green in two. Grace Kim does. That’s where the Australian’s miracle happens. From the centre of the fairway with a hybrid in hand, she hits what seemed to be the shot of the tournament. Later, she would outdo herself. She leaves an eagle putt to tie with the Thai player.
However, Thitikul’s third shot is good, leaving her a chance to win her first Major. Jeeno has two metres to lift a burden off her shoulders. At 22, it seems she could win her first Major, which, although hard to believe, feels overdue. The putt doesn’t go in, not at all. It opens the door for Kim, who converts the shot that was less than forty centimetres. It was unthinkable; Thitikul had it in her grasp, and it slipped away, but it wouldn’t be the last time that day she’d see the trophy slip away before her eyes. This was the second miracle of the day.
However, let’s go back a bit to find the first one. Of lesser magnitude but of great importance. Kim arrives at the 15th tee, and according to KPMG statistics, she has a 0.3% chance of winning. She’s three strokes behind Thitikul and Woad. It seemed almost impossible, especially when the Thai player birdied the 17th. The incredible eagle on the 18th wouldn’t have all that value without the two birdies she holed on the 15th and 16th. That was the first miracle. The second, as mentioned, on the 18th… but the third, the third left everyone watching speechless.
Her drive on the first playoff hole went to the first cut of rough on the right, not uncomfortable. She tried to repeat the shot from the 72nd hole of the regular tournament but couldn’t execute a good swing, and after the ball bounced on the path on the right side, it went into the water. She clearly lost the initiative, and even par seemed like a good result. That’s when she pulled out the magic wand again. She hit what is probably the shot of the year. The ball bounced at the start of the green and rolled perfectly into the hole; it had neither too much nor too little force. Spectacular. The third miracle.
Thitikul couldn’t believe it. Her face was contorted, not fully aware of what had just happened. She had overshot the back of the green and had a delicate approach since there wasn’t much space between the start of the green and the flag. From having the Evian close to having all the pressure. Her third shot went just over three metres past the flag. She showed the grit she lacked on the 72nd hole. It was a much more delicate putt that she holed in the centre. She raised her fist in celebration.
The second and final playoff hole arrived. They both hit great drives from the tee. Here Kim executed the fourth wonder. She took out the hybrid for the last time and left herself another eagle chance, this time just over three metres. Thitikul made exactly the same shot as the first playoff hole, and her ball went into the rough at the back of the green. Her ball got stuck in an anthill, a sign of the drama about to unfold. She made the approach but didn’t hole it, leaving it short. However, she would never get to putt it. Grace Kim closed her great work with a straight putt that confidently went in the centre. The glory was hers. No one could take away her first Major. Minjee Lee jumped with champagne in hand to celebrate with her compatriot. For Thitikul, this defeat is one that could sting for a long time. Not easy to digest the two chances that slipped away, without taking any credit away from Kim, of course.
All this madness made us forget the big name of the day. The amateur Lottie Woad started this Sunday five strokes off the lead, and what she did was truly remarkable. She was just one stroke away from going into a Major playoff. Since 1967, no amateur has won a Major, and Lottie almost did it. In fact, she missed a three-metre putt to fight to emulate the feat Catherine Lacoste achieved over 60 years ago at the US Open. With this result, Lottie gains full LPGA rights (either from now or for the next season) and has already said that next week she will announce whether she continues as an amateur or, on the contrary, turns professional.
Meanwhile, Julia López Ramírez (-5) closed her fifth Major within the top thirty of the tournament. A great debut in Evian, where she finished with her second consecutive card of 70 strokes. The consistency of the player from Benahavís is noteworthy. Five Majors, five cuts, and in four of them among the top forty. Azahara Muñoz (+2), for her part, finished on a high note. She climbed fourteen places on the leaderboard thanks to her first under-par card of the week. 69 strokes to say goodbye and 59th place on the leaderboard.
Final results of the Amundi Evian Championship
