Grace Kim jumps to 25 in the world after Evian Championship, Karrie Webb says more wins coming
Kim, who has jumped a mammoth 74 places on the world rankings to a career-high 25 after taking out the Evian Championship in France in stunning fashion, was set to tee it up in March before the tournament was cancelled due to fears over Cyclone Alfred.
It looms as one of the few events for Kim to play in at home in 2025 after the women's Australian Open was shifted to February 2026 when Golf Australia ditched the dual-gender format in favour of stand-alone national Opens.
Webb, who won seven majors, has a close bond with Kim, who won the Karrie Webb Scholarship four times, and the fourth time the pair spent six days together on a US road trip playing courses including Pine Valley and Winged Foot and sharing a hotel room.
After seeing the 24-year-old's miraculous eagle, birdie, eagle finish to win on a second playoff hole against world No.2 Jeeno Thitikul, Webb was confident the win, as well as the $1.8m winner's cheque and five years of playing security, would combine to unleash an all-new, extra confident Kim.
'I think this will take the lid off now,' said Webb, who watched Kim close out the tournament from her Florida home.
'I think Grace knows she's got a place to play for five years. Financially, this will give her some breathing room just to go and play, so I'm excited to see what she can do now with a bit of freedom.
'She has put in so much hard work. I played with her before she won her scholarship and her game's night and day from that 15, 16, 17-year-old to now. She didn't hit it very far back then. She really relied on her short game a lot.
'Now, she hits it long enough and she's a terrific ball striker. She's a very smart player.'
For her part, Kim also conceded the mental side of her game was the area that would lift her to new heights.
'I think I've come to learn that it's not quite my game technically. It's more on course, just the skills that I have to learn through experience being on the Tour week in, week out,' she said after collecting her trophy.
Kim also recognised the 'money can't buy' experience of that road trip with Webb in helping shape her career.
'I don't know golf courses very well, but we played Pine Needles ... sorry, Pine Valley, and I didn't quite know the big deal about it,' she said.
'So played Pine Valley, played Winged Foot. It was just an incredible week with her. It was a whole week. We shared a hotel room, so, yeah, memory that money can't buy.'
The 2026 Australian WPGA Championship and Festival of Golf will return to the Gold Coast from March 19-22 in 2026, with The Palms course at the renowned Sanctuary Cove Golf and Country Club to host the action.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
News.com.au
2 hours ago
- News.com.au
The Last Say: Tips, inside mail, market movers for Saturday's racing
Exciting filly Tuileries, last seen when a heavily backed favourite in the 3YO Magic Millions Guineas in January, resumes at Rosehill Gardens today with punters right behind her to make a winning return. The Peter Snowden-trained So You Think filly had to endure a wide barrier in her Magic Millions Guineas tilt where she ultimately finished seventh in the Gold Coast feature. But with two trials under her belt, punters have rallied around Tuileries in race six, a benchmark 78 over 1200 metres, where she is even money despite drawing the extreme outside barrier. King Of Roseau and he has been well supported to take out the final event on the card. The three-year-old Capitalist gelding has had five starts since that Gold Coast appearance including a last start Rosehill success a month ago. He's since had a Randwick trial to bring him up to the mark for today' assignment where punters have firmed him into $4.40 from his midweek quote of $6.50. â– â– â– â– â– ROSEHILL GARDENS Weather: Mostly sunny day and a forecast top temperature of 17c. Track: Soft (5). Rail: True. EAGLE FARM Weather: Sunny with a forecast temperature of 21c. Track: Soft (6). Rail: 1m out. FLEMINGTON Weather: Fine with cloud cover with a forecast temperature of 13c. Track: Soft (5). Rail: Out 3m for the entire. MORPHETTVILLE Weather: Cool, overcast possible showers with forecast top temperature of 14c. Track: Soft (6). Rail: Out 3m from 1000m to winning post, true remainder. • TIPS FROM THE BIG BOOKIES: The bagmen reveal the horses they fear most â– â– â– â– â– BEST BET Race 3 No.2 HIGHWAY STRIP: Been well supported and easy to understand why. He's a progressive type that has established form in Highway grade and his trials have been very encouraging. From the good draw should be in the finish. Four races down, four favourites home at @goulburnraces ðŸ'° The raw Highway Strip gives @GoulburnTrainer and Nick Heywood a winning double after he knuckled down over the concluding stages. — SKY Racing (@SkyRacingAU) September 13, 2024 NEXT BEST Race 5 No.10 AXIUS: Really attacked the line to win on the Kenso last time out with the runner-up on that occasion coming out and winning comfortably on Wednesday. Goes up in class here but will appreciate the rise in trip and just might have the most upside of this lot. Axius is too good for them at Randwick, as he wins first up for @NockBraith and @cmaherracing! 🙌 @aus_turf_club @Dynamic_WONIT — SKY Racing (@SkyRacingAU) June 25, 2025 â– â– â– â– â– EAGLE FARM TIPS BEST BET Race 3 No.7 MERCHANT FLYER: Fourth up today, with each run at the mile, and on the quick back up after running a cracking third to two smart ones last week. Had the best 600m and 200m sections out of that race. Looks ready to win. A very tight finish to Race 3 at Doomben with Merchant Flyer JUST getting there under @mallyon_andrew for trainer Grant Allard ðŸ'¸ — SKY Racing (@SkyRacingAU) October 26, 2024 NEXT BEST Race 6 No.3 APPIN GIRL: Ran a top third two starts back before not firing a shot last time out when well supported. Gets the blinkers on for the first time here and if that switches her on as connections hope she should take a power of beating at her pet 1000m distance. Appin Girl returns with a win in the Sky Racing Hcp at Eagle Farm! @hoystedracing | @bozzathornton | @BrisRacingClub — SKY Racing (@SkyRacingAU) October 12, 2024 â– â– â– â– â– FLEMINGTON TIPS BEST BET Race 1 No.3 DUCHESS ZOU: Up to the 1400m after finishing third behind two smart types in stakes grade up the straight last time out. Small field suits, should get an economical run and hopefully get favourite backers off to a flyer. Swift Circle & Duchess Zou settle down to fight it out in the straight, & the prior does enough to shed his maiden tag ðŸ'« @JohnnyA_24 — (@Racing) May 11, 2025 NEXT BEST Race 4 No.3 OYSTER LANE: It was impossible to miss his debut Caulfield run when finishing second after seeing open spaces. Lot to like how he attacked the line and with that experience is capable of going one better. Looks to have a future. Watch the Purple Cap! ðŸ'¥ It's a stunning late surge from Sonofkirk who comes from a long way back to slice through the frontrunners & nail his maiden victory ðŸ'° @FreedmanRacing @jyemcneil — (@Racing) June 28, 2025 â– â– â– â– â– TOP JOCKEY / TRAINER STRIKE RATES FOR ROSEHILL GARDENS 26.4% – Race 8 No.7 DISNECK & Race 9 No.10 THUNDERLIPS (Ashley Morgan/Bjorn Baker) 20.1% – RACE 9 NUMBER 1 ROBUSTO (Josh Parr/Bjorn Baker) 19.6% – RACE 7 NUMBER 10 FIOPROSPERO (Ashley Morgan/Matthew Smith) 17.7% – RACE 7 NUMBER 7 ASSAILANT AND RACE 9 NUMBER 5 BASES LOADED (Regan Bayliss/Gai Waterhouse-Adrian Bott) 17.1% – RACE 8 NUMBER 2 WITH YOUR BLESSING (Alysha Collett/John Thompson) 16.6% – RACE 5 NUMBER 3 WALKIN'TALKIN' (Molly Bourke/Gary Portelli) â– â– â– â– â– RATINGS RULER ROSEHILL GARDENS Race 2 Number 2 DENMAN STAR ($5.10) Race 9 Number 4 ACCREDITED ($4.60) GOSFORD Race 5 Number 12 YOU'RE THE CHOICE ($4) Race 2 Number 1 LOISBURGH ($2.80) Race 7 Number 1 BOLD BIDDER ($2.25 â– â– â– â– â– ROSEHILL GARDENS MARKET MOVERS Race 1: No. 2 PORTOFINO ($11 into $4.80) No. 6 ALPHARD ($15 into $7.50) Race 2: No. 2 DENMAN STAR ($7 into $4.80), No. 6 HARRY'S BAR ($5.50 into $3.10) Race 3: No. 2 HIGHWAY STRIP ($3.20 into $2.50), No. 9 PONY SOPRANO ($13 into $5) Race 4: No. 8 NARBOLD ($19 into $9.50) Race 5: No. 8 UNSTOPABULL ($12 into $6.50) Race 6: No. 1 DOLLAR MAGIC ($7 into $5.50) Race 7: No. 6 IMPUNITY ($21 into $9) Race 8: No. 12 SOUTH OF INDIA ($8.50 into $4.60) Race 9: No. 11 SALTCOATS ($18 into $7) Race 10: No. 4 KING OF ROSEAU ($6.50 into $4.40) â– â– â– â– â– BIG BETS ROSEHILL GARDENS Race 2 No. 6 – Harry's Bar – $4000 @ $3.40 Race 3 No. 2 – Highway Strip – $5000 @ $2.50 Race 6 No. 7 – Tuileries – $5000 @ $1.90 Race 6 No. 7 – Tuileries – $9000 at $2 Race 9 No. 1 – Robusto – $7500 at $3.70 Race 9 No. 9 – Fortunate Kiss – $1500 @ $9 Race 10 No. 4 – Bunker Hut – $6000 @ $3.80 EAGLE FARM Race 2 No. 2 – Berezka – $1000 @ $3.50 Race 4 No. 9 – Chica Mojito – $1000 @ $2.90 Race 4 No. 9 – Chica Mojito – $1000 @ $3 Race 8 No. 1 – Lead Me On – $5000 @ $4.60 Race 8 No. 2 – Benzou – $1100 @ $2.90 FLEMINGTON Race 1 No. 3 – Duchess Zou – $2400 @ $1.85 Race 1 No. 3 – Duchess Zou – $3000 @ $1.90 Race 4 No. 3 – Oyster Lane– $4000 @ $2.90 Race 5 No. 2 – Pariah Pearl– $3500 @ $3.80 Race 6 No. 8 – La Fracas– $4000 @ $2.30 Race 6 No. 8 – La Fracas – $2000 @ $2.70 Race 7 No. 4 – Bold Soul – $4000 @ $5 Race 8 No. 7 – Sayedaty Sadaty– $2500 @ $4 â– â– â– â– â– INTERSTATE MAIL (VIC/SA) Flemington Race 5 No.7 SOUND IT OUT Flemington Race 3 No.6 ALL BUSINESS Flemington Race 6 No.11 DE BERGERAC Morphettville Race 1 No.7 DELIGHTFUL SHECKY Morphettville Race 5 No.5 ETHEREUM GIRL
ABC News
2 hours ago
- ABC News
Marc Leishman leads Australian contingent at British Open as Adam Scott suffers after worst round in over two decades
Marc Leishman has shrugged off his frustrations surrounding the slow pace of play at the British Open to register the best round yet by any of the nine-strong Australian contingent at Royal Portrush. While his veteran compatriot Adam Scott was doomed to an early exit after three double bogeys in his worst Open round in more than two decades, Leishman rose at 4am, local time, teed off at 6.35am and enjoyed firing a second-round, three-under-par 68. The 41-year-old Victorian had bemoaned the snail-like crawl during an interminable first round in Northern Ireland, complaining he felt like he'd been on the Dunluce links "for about 12 hours" amid constant snarl-ups through slow play. But freed up among Friday's very first group out, the LIV Golf veteran, who'd been two-over-par overnight, enjoyed a dazzling run of five birdies in the first dozen holes to move momentarily to within a shot of the lead. Two bogeys at the next two holes, including a horrid shank off the tee at 13, checked his magisterial progress, but he still became the first Australian to shoot in the red at this 153rd Open. A decade on from his 2015 St Andrews near-miss when beaten in a play-off, Leishman was one under for the tournament, up into the top 20, having shot up over 50 places from his overnight position. And he ended much cheerier than on Thursday when he'd finished with a bogey. "I was obviously pretty frustrated last night when I came in here," he told reporters. "I always say to my wife, 'If I've had a bad day on the course, just give me 10 minutes, and I'll be good' … I think you got me about the eight-minute mark!" Having got up at 4am — "I set the alarm as late as possible, I love my sleep," he sighed — Leishman could at least enjoy an afternoon treat with conditions forecast to be trickier. "Happy to be watching it on TV. I'll probably have a pint or two of Guinness and enjoy my afternoon," he smiled. But while the swiftly changeable conditions on the County Antrim coast were at their mildest with 16-24kph winds, Portrush still proved fiendish for Scott, who'll miss the cut in his 25th successive British Open and 97th straight major appearance. Having started out as joint-leading Aussie alongside Cam Smith, after a first-round 72, Scott had been hoping to celebrate his eve-of-tournament 45th birthday with another stirring crack at winning the Claret Jug. But as soon as he made double-bogey on the short third, having struggled to extricate himself from the wet rough, he was on the back foot. He dropped four more shots in three holes around the turn, including another double-bogey six at 11 after driving into some bushes. His misery was compounded with a third double at the par-3 16th and a bogey at the last as he finished with an eight-over 79 — his worst round at the British Open since his 82 at Royal St George's 22 years ago — and a tournament total of nine over. Meanwhile, World No.1 Scottie Scheffler rose to the top of the British Open leaderboard at halfway, looking every inch a champion-in-waiting at Royal Portrush with a majestic round of 64. The American superstar cruised into pole position late on Friday evening on the Dunluce links at 10-under par, one shot clear of English hope Matt Fitzpatrick, the 2022 US Open champion, who got to nine under with a terrific 24ft par-saving putt at the last, earning him a 66. Fitzpatrick was in turn just a shot clear of a third major champ, 2023 Claret Jug winner Brian Harman, the famed deer-hunting "Butcher of Hoylake" who is back with his "very boring" assault on a second title, and China's Li Haotong, who's quietly dropped just one shot in 36 holes. The quartet have opened up a gap over their pursuers, but they include two other on-song British hopes, Bob MacIntyre and Tyrrell Hatton, who are in a five-way tie for fifth at five under, while home superstar Rory McIlroy is an ominous presence a couple of shots further back. AAP
ABC News
2 hours ago
- ABC News
Tim Tszyu focusing on present ahead of redemption world title clash with Sebastian Fundora
Tim Tszyu is a man on a mission. He's not unique in that aspect. Every boxer is the same. Focus directed on the job at hand, honing everything in on that next fight. The most important fight. The redemption fight. "The typical thing is that the next one is always the most important," Tszyu (25-2) tells ABC Sport before he left Australia for the USA earlier this month. "But this one's got a little bit more meaning towards it. "The fact that what's happened in the past, the history, and the newest chapter that's about to be written. "It's a big part of my life." Tszyu is, of course, talking about his upcoming trip to Las Vegas, when he will meet Sebastian Fundora (22-1-1) for the second time in his career, at the MGM Grand. Tszyu's last trip to Vegas did not go to plan. Now he needs to put it right. The loss of his WBO super welterweight title, a defeat paid for in copious amounts of blood, is in the past. "What could have been? Who knows. I don't look to it, I really just focus on the present," Tszyu says. "The first one was one hell of a spectacle and a fight to be remembered for the ages. "That's why we're gunna come back and re-live the memory." The bloodbath of the T-Mobile Arena saw Fundora add Tszyu's WBO strap to his WBC crown. For those that need reminding, the towering American — a late call up to fight Tszyu on just 11 days notice — opened a sickening gash in Tszyu's head in just the second round of what turned into a 12-round epic 16 months ago. Fundora has, in recent weeks, argued that the cut had little impact on Tszyu and that the Australian could see him just fine for the rest of the contest that the American won by a desperately narrow, split decision. The evidence of anyone who has seen the fight would suggest that Tszyu is correct in calling out that claim as "bulls***". Nevertheless, Tszyu says that despite losing his world title to Fundora, he was still able to take plenty from the fight. "The fact that I was able to show my true self, and who I am as a person, with my heart, my determination, the values that I've been bought up with, I got to show it on an audience for the whole world to see," Tszyu says. "That's what I'm about. "I think, in life, every lesson you learn is from hard failures, from hard situations that helps you grow as a person. "That gash unfortunately made me lose, but it turned me into a different person." There was far less to take from his next trip to America. There's no way of softening what IBF champion Bakhram Murtazaliev inflicted on Tszyu in Florida last October last year. It was a savage beat down, the Aussie being knocked down three times in the second round and once in round three before the towel was thrown in. If the Fundora loss left physical scars, the monstering from Murtazaliev exposed some of the mental ones, as well as adding a few more for good measure. It was a brutalisation that few, if any, saw coming. But a confidence-boosting beating of Joey Spencer in Newcastle in April has put Tszyu back on the path towards righting those wrongs. While Tszyu had 11 days to adjust to the challenge posed by 197cm-tall Fundora instead of the 171cm-tall Keith Thurman, this time he has directed all his sparring at tall, lanky left-handers. If he was caught out last time, he won't be this time around. "The height, that's all he's really got on me," Tszyu says. "Never kick the small man down." Fundora has only fought once since beating Tszyu and becoming unified champion at 153lb, beating Chordale Booker by TKO after a one-sided four rounds in Las Vegas in March. Tszyu says he's not obsessed with beating Fundora, but accepts the challenge of facing him is what is driving him forward. "I believe everyone in life needs a challenge, a goal to work towards," he says. "I don't stay up at night or wake up in the morning and have Sebastian Fundora on my mind. It's not like that. "I know what I'm capable of and I know what I can do in the ring, so I don't need to think about that. I just think of it week by week, day by day and just become the best version [of myself]." Also fighting on the card will be boxing legend Manny Pacquiao, the 46-year-old eight-weight world champion making his return to the ring for the first time since 2021 to fight Mario Barrios for the WBC welterweight title. The addition of Pacquiao to the card as headliner has made the ticket sales go "crazy", according to Tszyu. But the added global interest is not daunting him. "The platform that I'm in right now is crazy," Tszyu says. "The audience is so big, so the fact is that I have to not just win, but win in dominant fashion and prove to everyone exactly who I really am."
