EVIAN-LES-BAINS – 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.
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