While Australia’s Stephanie Kyriacou ultimately came up short, her solo second earned her a $752,439 payday.
American Lauren Coughlin tied for third at the Chevron Championship and fourth at the Evian, giving her more than $850,000 in two starts, nearly twice what she made all season last year.
Take a look at the complete breakdown of the $8 million purse:
Round two of the 2024 Amundi Evian Championship was suspended after dangerous weather rolled over Lake Geneva Friday afternoon. Japan’s Ayaka Furue holds the lead at 12 under, three clear of the field. She was 6 under on the day through 13 holes when play stopped.
This marks the 30th anniversary of the Evian, which began as a Ladies European Tour event and was designated a major championship in 2013. Last year, Celine Boutier became the first Frenchwoman to win the only major championship contested in continental Europe.
Here’s a look at the best photos from the 2024 Amundi Evian in Evian-les-baines, France.
As everyone else fell, Ayaka Furue rose to the occasion.
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.
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.
Ayaka Furue of Japan celebrates after wining the Amundi Evian Championship on the 18th hole during the final round of the Amundi Evian Championship at Evian Resort Golf Club on July 14, 2024 in Evian-les-Bains, France. (Photo by Valerio Pennicino/Getty Images)
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.”
Lauren Coughlin of the United States plays her second shot on the 13th hole during the final round of the Amundi Evian Championship at Evian Resort Golf Club on July 14, 2024 in Evian-les-Bains, France. (Photo by Matthew Lewis/Getty Images)
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.
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.”
The 46-year-old, making her final major start at the place that made her a major champ in 2018.
Only lightning could stop the streak of good golf Angela Stanford put together as play was suspended at the Amundi Evian Championship. The 46-year-old, making her final major championship start at the place that made her a major champion in 2018, was 5 under over her last four holes when Round 2 was suspended at 10:23 a.m. EDT due to dangerous conditions.
Japan’s Ayaka Furue leads the field by three at 12 under. She’s 6 under on the day through 13 holes. Australia’s Stephanie Kyriacou has two holes left and sits at 9 under with Haeran Ryu, who has only played 11 holes.
Stanford, who’d just teed off on the par-4 13th hole, sits in a share of fourth with Patty Tavatanakit at 8 under.
Angela Stanford of the United States celebrates winning the Evian Championship with the trophy during Day Four of The Evian Championship 2018 at Evian Resort Golf Club on September 16, 2018, in Evian-les-Bains, France. (Photo by Stuart Franklin/Getty Images)
World No. 1 Nelly Korda, who has missed her last three cuts, including two majors, holed a nice par save on the 14th just before the horn blasted. She’s 1 over on the day and 1 under for the tournament. Those at even par or better are currently inside the cut line.
Officials anticipate it will be at least an hour-long delay before play resumes.
On Tuesday of Evian week, Stanford joined Golfweek’s Big Pickle podcast to talk about her decades-long career coming to a close and reminisce on that victory in France six years ago. She remains the only American to win Evian since it became a major championship in 2013. Should she go on to win this week, she’d be the oldest major champion in LPGA history.
Ingrid Lindblad often made college golf look easy, winning 15 times over the course of five seasons at LSU.
Ingrid Lindblad often made college golf look easy, winning 15 times over the course of five seasons at LSU. She’s doing more of the same in her pro debut on the LPGA at the Amundi Evian Championship.
Lindblad, 24, opened with a bogey-free 7-under 64 to take a share of the first-round lead in her first appearance at the LPGA’s newest major. While Evian celebrates 30 years this week, it’s only been a major since 2013.
“I would say it’s a pretty simple round of golf,” said Lindblad, who shares the early lead with Scotland’s Gemma Dryburgh and Patty Tavatanakit.
After spending 53 weeks as the No. 1 amateur in the world, Lindblad turned professional following the U.S. Women’s Open at Lancaster Country Club in early June. She went directly to the Epson Tour, where she made three consecutive starts, finishing in a share of second at her most recent event.
Then she went home to Sweden for 10 days to see her coaches and rest up for France.
“I think the hardest thing was probably the routine around the events,” said Lindblad of her Epson start. “It’s not the same as a college event or a regular amateur tournament, so just kind of getting used to it.”
Lindblad won the second stage of LPGA Q-School by four strokes in the fall of 2023 but decided to skip the final stage to return to LSU for a fifth season. She turned professional with Epson Tour status but no status on the LPGA of any kind.
Ingrid Lindblad of Sweden plays her second shot on the sixth hole during the first round of the Amundi Evian Championship at Evian Resort Golf Club on July 11, 2024, in Evian-les-Bains, France. (Photo by Matthew Lewis/Getty Images)
This marks Lindblad’s ninth start in an LPGA major, with four appearances in both the U.S. Women’s Open and AIG Women’s British Open. She finished as low amateur at the 2022 U.S. Women’s Open at Pine Needles, taking a share of 11th after opening with a 6-under 65 that week while playing alongside Annika Sorenstam. It was the lowest round in championship history by an amateur.
“It’s been amazing,” said Lindblad of her first time at the Evian. “Weather is great and that helps a lot. Just I kept saying if you don’t play well, you can just look at the lake and enjoy the views. It’s really pretty and the course is in great condition.”
To say she was stunned when her tee shot found the bottom of the cup would be an understatement.
Jodi Ewart Shadoff was 7 over when she came to the 16th tee at the Evian Resort Golf Club. To say she was stunned when her tee shot found the bottom of the cup on the 148-yard par 3 would be an understatement.
Shadoff covered her mouth as the ball worked its way down the slope on the right side of the green and into the hole. As the first player to make an ace there, she won a voucher worth 180,000 euros to pick out the Porsche of her choosing at the Amundi Evian Championship.
“I struck it really nicely,” said Shadoff, who shot 75 in the first round. “It was a little right of the pin so I knew it needed the left bounce off that slope. It was going straight at the hole and I was like, oh, man, this is a chance.
Chun-Wei Wu, one of eight amateurs in the field, recorded an ace of her own on the picturesque par-3 5th hole. Chun, who opened with an even-par 71, won the 2024 Women’s Amateur Asia-Pacific to earn her spot in the field. She hit a 5-iron from 177 yards
“Actually, I didn’t see the ball go in,” she said, “and I ask my friend and they say, you go in. I said woo-hoo. Really? First hole-in-one in a major. I’m so excited.”
