Latest news with #EvianLesBains


National Post
13-07-2025
- Sport
- National Post
Grace Kim with a stunning finish wins Evian Championship for her first major
EVIAN-LES-BAINS, France — Grace Kim delivered one stunning shot after another Sunday in the Evian Championship, starting with an eagle to force a playoff and another eagle to beat Jeeno Thitikul on the second extra hole to make her first LPGA win a major title. Article content Kim, whose 2-foot eagle putt on the par-5 18th in regulation gave her a 4-under 67, looked to be just as surprised as everyone else when she rolled in a 12-foot eagle putt to win the playoff. The 24-year-old Australian calmly placed her hand over her mouth and stood still before doubling over and breaking into a wide smile. Article content Article content Article content Thitikul's biggest challenge had been English amateur Lottie Woad, who was coming off a win in the Irish Women's Open and at one point had the lead on the back nine of Evian Resort. She closed with 64 and then waited to see if that would be enough. Article content Woad was bidding to become the first amateur to win a major since Catherine Lacoste at the 1967 U.S. Women's Open. Thitikul birdied the 17th to take the lead, and the Thai player was on the verge of her first major when she laid up short of the pond and hit wedge into 8 feet on the final hole. Article content But there was Kim, blasting a fairway metal onto the green. The ball rolled back down the slope to 2 feet for eagle to tie for the lead. Thitikul's birdie putt for the title missed right. She shot 67 and joined Kim at 14-under 270, one ahead of Woad and Minjee Lee (68). Article content Back to the 18th in the playoff, Thitikul again looked like a winner when Kim's second shot bounced on a cart path, over some rocks and into the pond. Thitikul was just left of the green in two. Kim took her penalty drop, then chipped in for birdie across the green. Article content Thitikul had to make an 8-foot birdie putt to extend the playoff, which she did. Playing the 18th for the third time, Kim again delivered another beauty over the pond and onto the green to about 12 feet. Article content Thitikul, who had tiny insects buzzing around her ball in the collar of a bunker, chipped weakly to about 6 feet. She could only watch as Kim ended it with an eagle. Article content


Al Arabiya
13-07-2025
- Sport
- Al Arabiya
Grace Kim With a Stunning Finish Wins Evian Championship for Her First Major
EVIAN-LES-BAINS, France Grace Kim delivered one stunning shot after another Sunday in the Evian Championship, starting with an eagle to force a playoff and another eagle to beat Jeeno Thitikul on the second extra hole to make her first LPGA win a major title. Kim, whose 2-foot eagle putt on the par-5 18th in regulation gave her a 4-under 67, looked to be just as surprised as everyone else when she rolled in a 12-foot eagle putt to win the playoff. The 24-year-old Australian calmly placed her hand over her mouth and stood still before doubling over and breaking into a wide smile. Thitikul's biggest challenge had been English amateur Lottie Woad, who was coming off a win in the Irish Women's Open and at one point had the lead on the back nine of Evian Resort. She closed with 64 and then waited to see if that would be enough. Woad was bidding to become the first amateur to win a major since Catherine Lacoste at the 1967 US Women's Open. Thitikul birdied the 17th to take the lead, and the Thai player was on the verge of her first major when she laid up short of the pond and hit wedge into 8 feet on the final hole. But there was Kim blasting a fairway metal onto the green. The ball rolled back down the slope to 2 feet for eagle to tie for the lead. Thitikul's birdie putt for the title missed right. She shot 67 and joined Kim at 14-under 270, one ahead of Woad and Minjee Lee (68). Back to the 18th in the playoff, Thitikul again looked like a winner when Kim's second shot bounced on a cart path, over some rocks, and into the pond. Thitikul was just left of the green in two. Kim took her penalty drop then chipped in for birdie across the green. Thitikul had to make an 8-foot birdie putt to extend the playoff, which she did. Playing the 18th for the third time, Kim again delivered another beauty over the pond and onto the green to about 12 feet. Thitikul, who had tiny insects buzzing around her ball in the collar of a bunker, chipped weakly to about 6 feet. She could only watch as Kim ended it with an eagle. That extended what already is a record streak in the LPGA Tour's 75-year history, the 18th consecutive tournament to start a season with a different winner. It also makes 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.


Washington Post
13-07-2025
- Sport
- Washington Post
Grace Kim with a stunning finish wins Evian Championship for her first major
EVIAN-LES-BAINS, France — Grace Kim delivered one stunning shot after another Sunday in the Evian Championship, starting with an eagle to force a playoff and another eagle to beat Jeeno Thitikul on the second extra hole to make her first LPGA win a major title. Kim, whose 2-foot eagle putt on the par-5 18th in regulation gave her a 4-under 67, looked to be just as surprised as everyone else when she rolled in a 12-foot eagle putt to win the playoff. The 24-year-old Australian calmly placed her hand over her mouth and stood still before doubling over and breaking into a wide smile.

Associated Press
13-07-2025
- Sport
- Associated Press
Grace Kim with a stunning finish wins Evian Championship for her first major
EVIAN-LES-BAINS, France (AP) — Grace Kim delivered one stunning shot after another Sunday in the Evian Championship, starting with an eagle to force a playoff and another eagle to beat Jeeno Thitikul on the second extra hole to make her first LPGA win a major title. Kim, whose 2-foot eagle putt on the par-5 18th in regulation gave her a 4-under 67, looked to be just as surprised as everyone else when she rolled in a 12-foot eagle putt to win the playoff. The 24-year-old Australian calmly placed her hand over her mouth and stood still before doubling over and breaking into a wide smile. Thitikul's biggest challenge had been English amateur Lottie Woad, who was coming off a win in the Irish Women's Open and at one point had the lead on the back nine of Evian Resort. She closed with 64 and then waited to see if that would be enough. Woad was bidding to become the first amateur to win a major since Catherine Lacoste at the 1967 U.S. Women's Open. Thitikul birdied the 17th to take the lead, and the Thai player was on the verge of her first major when she laid up short of the pond and hit wedge into 8 feet on the final hole. But there was Kim, blasting a fairway metal onto the green. The ball rolled back down the slope to 2 feet for eagle to tie for the lead. Thitikul's birdie putt for the title missed right. She shot 67 and joined Kim at 14-under 270, one ahead of Woad and Minjee Lee (68). Back to the 18th in the playoff, Thitikul again looked like a winner when Kim's second shot bounced on a cart path, over some rocks and into the pond. Thitikul was just left of the green in two. Kim took her penalty drop, then chipped in for birdie across the green. Thitikul had to make an 8-foot birdie putt to extend the playoff, which she did. Playing the 18th for the third time, Kim again delivered another beauty over the pond and onto the green to about 12 feet. Thitikul, who had tiny insects buzzing around her ball in the collar of a bunker, chipped weakly to about 6 feet. She could only watch as Kim ended it with an eagle. That extended what already is a record streak in the LPGA Tour's 75-year history, the 18th consecutive tournament to start a season with a different winner. It also makes 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. ___ AP golf:


Associated Press
12-07-2025
- Sport
- Associated Press
Their first love was tennis. Now Gainer and Ruffels are battling to be major winners in women's golf
EVIAN-LES-BAINS, France (AP) — Golf wasn't the first love of Cara Gainer or Gabriela Ruffels, who grew up wanting to be professional tennis players and came close to making it. Now they're in sight of becoming an unlikely major winner in their adopted sport. Gainer, a No. 129-ranked Englishwoman, and Ruffels, a 71st-ranked Australian, will be in the final group at the Evian Championship on Sunday after powering through the field in the third round of the fourth major of the year in women's golf. On a glorious Saturday at Evian Resort Golf Club, Gainer shot 7-under 64 to move to 11 under for the week and was soon joined in the lead by Ruffels, who shot 66. They've got plenty of high-quality company on the leaderboard, however. No. 6-ranked Minjee Lee, the recent winner of the Women's PGA Championship, shot 66 and was a stroke off the co-leaders in her bid to become the first woman since Inbee Park in 2013 to capture back-to-back major titles. No. 2-ranked Jeeno Thitikul (67), who has yet to win a major, was tied on 10 under with Lee, along with second-round leader Somi Lee (71) and Grace Kim (70). They'll all be applying pressure on Gainer and Ruffels, who have kept a keen eye on the Wimbledon tennis championships taking place this week and finished their third rounds just before the start of the women's singles final between Amanda Anisimova and Iga Swiatek. They'll no doubt be watching it. 'Tennis was, I guess, my first love,' said the 29-year-old Gainer, who tried her hand at golf for the first time at the age of 14 and quickly became a scratch handicapper. 'I do still really enjoy it. I don't really play anymore but I love to watch it. Obviously Wimbledon is on this week so that's my evening.' Like Gainer, Ruffels had a tennis coach for a father. She was so good — as the No. 1 junior in Australia — that she won many ITF junior events in Europe, but also turned to golf around the age of 14 and was the U.S. Women's Amateur champion in 2019. Before coming to the French Alps, she stopped off at Wimbledon with her boyfriend as a guest of Australian doubles great Todd Woodbridge. 'It was such a cool experience,' the 25-year-old Ruffels said. 'It was great to relax and not touch the clubs for a few days and get over jet lag. Seems to have worked this week.' ___ AP golf: