Ayaka Furue became a Star Wars fan about a month ago. On Sunday at the Amundi Evian Championship, as the petite Japanese player made her way down the closing stretch at Evian Resort Golf Club, the words of Obi-Wan Kenobi popped in her mind.
May the force be with you.
In a flash, it seemed, the woman who struggled to close events suddenly became unstoppable, playing the last five holes in 5 under to clinch her first major title.
And she did it with power, no less, hitting the closing par 5 in two with a 6-iron and draining an eagle putt from 12 feet to finish at 19 under and clip Australia’s Stephanie Kyriacou by one stroke.
“Breathtaking, like incredible, I’m so speechless,” said Furue of what it means to become the fourth player from Japan to win an LPGA major and the second this year.
Amundi Evian: Prize money | Photos
Furue went 46 holes to start the week at the Evian without making a bogey (67 total dating to the KPMG Women’s PGA), a remarkable feat for a mountainside course that’s often described as “quirky.” Everything about her game early week looked effortless.
It wasn’t so on Saturday, however, when she shot a 70, hitting only eight fairways and 11 greens. Furue would later say she was “mentally blocking” that day and didn’t want a repeat performance.
Much of Sunday in Evian looked like a two-player race against two women who’d never won before. American Lauren Coughlin, who not too terribly long ago was struggling to keep her tour card, looked in control of the day early on.
But while all eyes were on the last group, Patty Tavatanakit reminded everyone of the fireworks this major often produces on Sunday, hitting a bomb off the 18th tee over 300 yards to set up a closing eagle in a final-round 63. In the clubhouse at 17 under, she hung out by the chipping area to await her fate.
Coughlin, meanwhile, picked the worst time to notch her first bogeys of the day on Nos. 16 and 17. That she ultimately finished four back in solo fourth overshadows the fact that she led the Evian for most of Sunday.
“Obviously disappointing to finish how I did,” said Coughlin. “I held the lead of a major for almost 15 holes today – or at least until hole 15. So, no, I can be very happy about it.”
Coughlin, who took a share of third at the Chevron earlier this year, said that while it was special to have husband, John Pond, back on the bag in France, he was only filling in for a week.
“I don’t like everything being all about my golf all the time, and there is no break sometimes,” she said. “Even when it’s good, you’re obviously really great. But when it’s bad it’s just not fun, and I just don’t want to put that stress on our personal relationship for my career gain.”
Kyriacou, currently No. 100 in the Rolex Rankings, looked like she might be the unlikely one to close this championship until she chunked a chip on the penultimate hole that ultimately led to bogey.
Even so, she still had a chance going into the par-5 18th holding a share of the lead with Tavatanakit and Furue at 17 under.
A wayward tee shot from the Aussie on the 18th, however, forced her to lay up. While she managed to still make birdie, it didn’t matter as Furue had already drained her eagle attempt.
“Sucks not to hold the trophy,” said Kyriacou. “If you told me I would come second at the start of the week, I would’ve been happy.”
World No. 1 Nelly Korda eagled her last hole, the par-5 ninth, to shoot 68 and take a share of 26th. She’s off to Croatia to visit a friend who’s getting married later this year while Korda is competing at the Solheim Cup.
In other notable finishes, Angela Stanford wrapped up her decades-long major championship career with a T-26 and more than a few tears. The 2018 Evian champion played in 103 LPGA majors, with her first coming as an amateur in 2000. She holds the record of playing in 98 consecutive majors, a streak that ended with this year’s U.S. Women’s Open.
Furue, an eight-time winner on the JLPGA, notched her first victory on the LPGA at the 2022 Women’s Scottish Open. She’s put herself in position time and again since then. Coming into this week, her 16 top-10 finishes over the past two seasons was the most of any player on tour without a win in that span.
At last year’s KPMG Women’s PGA at Baltusrol, Furue told the media that maybe she’s not yet strong enough to win. When she won at Dundonald Links, she fired a course record 10-under 62 to overcome a four-stroke deficit, but wasn’t expected to win that day.
The Evian, however, was a different story. And Furue, fresh off the disappointment of not qualifying for the Olympics, has a new narrative to follow going forward.
After draining putts of 30 and 40 feet on the Nos. 14 and 15, Furue stuffed it to 5 feet on the 16th and nearly drained another birdie bomb on the 17th. The eagle on the last was pure class.
When it was over, Japanese players came out to shower her with champagne, which is never in short supply at the LPGA major in France. A skydiver delivered her country’s flag, as is the event’s custom.
“I didn’t believe that I can get the major win,” she said, soaked in her success. “I’m so happy right now.”