All open, all to play for at the Amundi Evian Championship. The third round has tightened the leaderboard to the maximum. The lead started at -10 and barely moved to -11. Twenty players are within a five-shot range. The leaders haven’t managed to go low, while those coming from behind have stepped up. There’s a statistic that perfectly reflects what’s happening this week: of the top twelve on the leaderboard, only Minjee Lee knows what it’s like to win a major. There’s a rebellion in Evian.
Gabriela Ruffels (-11) and Cara Gainer (-11) are the tournament leaders after moving day. Gainer delivered a spectacular card of 64 strokes to reach the top with six birdies, an eagle, and a solitary bogey. Ruffels started with a nervous stumble and from there secured six flawless birdies for a card of 66 strokes on a day when she putted very well. Neither of them knows what it’s like to win a Major; in fact, neither knows what it’s like to win on the LPGA.
One shot behind are, among others, two big names: Minjee Lee (-10) and Jeeno Thitikul (-10). The Australian comes from winning the PGA Championship, and the Thai is the world number two, seeking her coveted first Major. Also tied at that score are Grace Kim (-10) and Somi Lee (-10).
The Australian Ruffels is in her second season on the LPGA. Last year she achieved four top tens on the tour and showed great promise, but winning in Evian is a different story. Gabriela was on her way to becoming a tennis player, but her career took a turn at thirteen when she started competing in golf thanks to her brother Ryan, who is a professional. She embarked on a meteoric career, culminating in winning the US Amateur in 2019. Expectations soared, and as she admits, it was challenging to manage. Her recent appearances in Majors didn’t suggest she was a favourite. In her first four majors (2020 and 2021), she finished among the top twenty in all of them, but since then, she hasn’t returned to a top 20. However, she has only missed three cuts in 17 Majors. The consistency of the Australian is impressive. We’ll see if she can handle the pressure this Sunday and perform in a round.
In a similar situation is the Englishwoman Cara Gainer. At 29, she secured her first victory on the Ladies European Tour this season. She acknowledges that a great weight has been lifted off her shoulders, which is why she’s playing so well. It’s only her second appearance in a Major. It would be a real surprise.
The true queen of the rebellion is Jeeno Thitikul. We could call her the great contender. The second-best player in the world still lacks a Major in her trophy cabinet. In each of the five Majors, she has finished among the top seven, but she hasn’t yet claimed victory. It seems like we’re talking about a veteran, but she’s only 22 and already seems “late” regarding Majors. The Thai can’t really be considered a rebel since she’s one of the dominators of world golf, but the undeniable fact is that she still doesn’t have a Major.
Quietly and steadily, she has positioned herself. In fact, she’s been the most consistent player. She hasn’t had a standout day, but very few players have played under 70 in all three rounds, and the Thai is one of them. Just three bogeys all week. Consistent, steady, and chipping away like a little ant. She knows tomorrow could be the big day: “I need to be patient and know what I want. Hopefully, I can achieve it tomorrow,” she said right after finishing her third round.
On the other hand, the voice of experience is Minjee Lee, who will try to impose the law of the strongest tomorrow, as someone who knows what she’s facing and has defeated the dragon three times, one of them in 2021 on this very course. If we stick to the facts, the Australian could be the favourite.
The disappointment of the day was Nelly Korda (-1), who with a round of 75 strokes, has bid farewell to any chance of adding her third Major.
As for the Spanish players, Julia López (-4) needed a moving day like Cara Gainer’s. In fact, they started tied on the leaderboard. It wasn’t to be. The player from Málaga chipped away a stroke at Evian and with a card of 70 strokes managed to stay among the top 25 on the leaderboard. The top ten is four shots away. Difficult, but not impossible. Julia continues to show a very solid version in Evian.
Things went worse for Azahara Muñoz (+4), who with a card of 74 strokes has been relegated to 71st place and will seek to bid farewell to the fourth Major of the year this Sunday.
Check the live results of the Amundi Evian Championship
