Tag: Evian Championship

Photos: Lydia Ko through the years

View photos of former world No. 1 Lydia Ko throughout her career.

Lydia Ko is without a doubt, the best Kiwi to ever tee it up.

She has 28 professional wins with two major championships to boot.

A child prodigy, Ko began playing golf at the age of five and gained national attention at 14 when she became the then-youngest winner of any professional golf tour event. That title now belongs to her colleague, Brooke Henderson, who broke Ko’s record that same year.

Later in 2012, Ko became the youngest LPGA winner at just 15-years-old at the CN Canadian Open. Not looking back, Ko has continued to rack up wins and dominate in spurts on the LPGA.

Three wins in 2014 earned her LPGA Rookie of the Year honors. Winning five times in 2015, Ko climbed to No. 1 in the world which culminated in her first major title at the Evian Championship.

Winning is what Ko does.

All her wins came before being eligible to become a mid-amateur. Her dominance at such a young age is one of the things that make Ko so special. Luckily for us, it looks like she’ll be around for awhile longer.

Who will win their first major championship in 2023? Golfweek’s staff makes its picks

Don’t be surprised if a handful of rising stars step into the spotlight in 2023.

Three of the four major champions on the men’s side in 2022 were first-time winners. As for the women? Two of five.

That got us thinking, who is most likely to add a major championship to their resumes for the first time in 2023? Several writers on Golfweek‘s staff have made their picks, some surprising, some not so much.

Men’s 2023 major venues: Augusta National Golf Club (Masters), Oak Hill Country Club (PGA Championship), Los Angeles Country Club (U.S. Open) and Royal Liverpool (Open Championship).

Women’s 2023 major venues: The Club at Carlton Woods (Chevron Championship), Baltusrol (KPMG PGA Championship), Pebble Beach Golf Links (U.S. Women’s Open), Evian Resort Golf Club (Evian Championship) and Walton Heath Golf Club (AIG Women’s Open).

MORE: 2022 Golfweek Awards

Looking ahead: 2023 women’s major championship venues, including Pebble Beach

Five majors. Five incredible venues.

For the very first time, the best women golfers in the world are headed to the Monterey Peninsula for the U.S. Women’s Open at Pebble Beach Golf Links. The historic Jack Neville and Douglas Grant design has hosted six U.S. Opens, but in 2023, it’s the ladies’ turn.

Since its inception, the Chevron Championship has been played at Mission Hills. However, the Dinah Shore will take place at a different venue this upcoming season.

Unlike the men who compete in four major championships a year, the women dual it out five times for the largest prizes in golf.

Here’s a breakdown of all five tracks.

Brooke Henderson, who hasn’t won a major in six years, holds two-shot lead at Amundi Evian Championship

Brooke Henderson is searching for her first major championship in six years.

Last year at the Amundi Evian Championship, Minjee Lee roared back from a seven-shot deficit to win her first major in a playoff. The effort matched the largest come-from-behind triumphs in LPGA major championship history, set by Patty Sheehan and Karrie Webb.

Given Evian’s reputation for low scores, it seems no lead is safe on the shores of Lake Geneva. Brooke Henderson led by as many as five on Saturday but ended the day with a two-stroke advantage over So Yeon Ryu, a two-time major winner who has struggled of late.

Henderson hasn’t won a major title since 2016 and paces the field at 17 under after posting a steady 68. The 11-time winner on the LPGA set a major championship record with back-to-back 64s in the first two rounds.

“It wasn’t my best today,” said Henderson, “but I really hung in there when I needed to, which feels nice. Was able to birdie a couple of the par 5s at least, which is good. I had a lot of good birdie looks, too, which is all you can really ask for.”

Nelly Korda came into the weekend trailing only Canada’s finest but walked off the 18th green in disbelief after an even-par 71. Four bogeys on the day dropped her into a share of sixth, six shots back of Henderson.

“I didn’t hit it very good,” said Korda, “Didn’t really putt great. Made some really good saves here and there, but overall a little bit of a disappointing day.”

Sophia Schubert of the United States competes in the Amundi Evian Championship in the French Alps town of Evian-les-Bains, a major tournament on the women’s calendar, on July 23, 2022. (Photo by JEAN-PHILIPPE KSIAZEK / AFP)

Sophia Schubert, the 2017 U.S. Women’s Amateur champion, sits in solo third. Playing in only her second major as a professional, Schubert birdied the last four holes to get to 13 under. The Texas grad tied for 58th at the Evian five years ago, not long after she beat Albane Valenzuela in the final match of the Women’s Amateur.

“I’m just trying not to think about it in a way,” said Schubert. “I mean, I get to play with some of the best golfers in the world and I think to myself that I deserve to be here.

“I’m just trying to keep my confidence up and just keep going.”

Schubert will be paired in the penultimate group on Sunday alongside Carlota Ciganda, who is in a share of fourth with Sei Young Kim.

World No. 1 Jin Young Ko joins Korda in the group at 11 under. Ko won the 2019 Evian.

“Greens are slow and greens are soft,” said Ko, “so everybody can do like aggressive play. So, yeah, I do, too.”

[vertical-gallery id=778285808]

[mm-video type=playlist id=01es6rjnsp3c84zkm6 player_id=01evcfxp4q8949fs1e image=https://golfweek.usatoday.com/wp-content/plugins/mm-video/images/playlist-icon.png]

Switzerland’s Albane Valenzuela on pace for career-best major finish at Amundi Evian, the course where her parents first met

Albane Valenzuela’s roots at the Amundi Evian Championship run deep.

Albane Valenzuela’s roots at the Amundi Evian Championship run deep. Her parents, Alberto and Diane, actually met at an exhibition match at Evian Golf Resort in 1991. The course had recently opened after a renovation and Franck Ribould invited four amateurs to play against four professionals. Alberto, a Mexican, was the reigning French Amateur champion.

Diane, a 10-handicap, was working in the export department for Evian at the time.

Now, more than 30 years later, their eldest child finds herself on the leaderboard at the LPGA major, in a share of 10th after a third-round 64.

“It means the world,” said Albane. “I love this place so much. This was the first major I played as an amateur, and I’m so thankful to Franck and the entire team at Evian for giving me that opportunity back then.”

Albane Valenzuela of Switzerland plays her second shot on the 11th hole on day one of The Amundi Evian Championship at Evian Resort Golf Club on July 21, 2022 in Evian-les-Bains, France. (Photo by Stuart Franklin/Getty Images)

Valenzuela, a Stanford grad who was born in New York, plays under the Swiss flag and lived in nearby Geneva until the family moved to the Bahamas several years ago. After missing the cut in four appearances at the Evian on special invites, she finally played the weekend in 2019, ultimately taking a share of 37th.

Valenzuela has posted four top-25 finishes in her last six starts on the LPGA, with her best finish a share of fourth at the ShopRite LPGA Classic. She’s currently 57th in the CME points race. Her best finish in a major so far came as an amateur when she placed 24th at the 2018 U.S. Women’s Open.

“You know, it’s funny,” said Valenzuela. “I had a little bit of slap in the face in Hawaii when my ball-striking was incredible and I just couldn’t score. I don’t think I was as happy.

“I think after Palos Verdes I stayed with my college roommates, and just finding that balance again of me, Albane as young woman and me, Albane as golfer are not the same. They don’t have to be mutually exclusive.

“So it was just kind of just going back to enjoying playing golf. I think I just have a renewed passion for the game. I just love it so much. But I probably love it more than I ever have in its highs and its lows.”

Valenzuela family at the 2019 Evian left to right: Alexis, Diane, Alberto, Albane. (Beth Ann Nichols)

Valenzuela spent two weeks in Paris before heading to her home club in Geneva last week. The time back in Europe has been good for the soul.

“Being back in Switzerland, this is a country I represent, the country I chose to play golf for,” she said, “and I think it’s – I just love coming back here.

“This is really home.”

[vertical-gallery id=778285808]

[mm-video type=playlist id=01es6rjnsp3c84zkm6 player_id=01evcfxp4q8949fs1e image=https://golfweek.usatoday.com/wp-content/plugins/mm-video/images/playlist-icon.png]

Evian Championship x Malbon Golf apparel collection to celebrate elite female players

Malbon Golf has released limited edition designs to honor the prestigious Evian Championship.

Malbon Golf has been taking the golf apparel scene by storm with its vintage and contemporary streetwear threads.

To celebrate the Amundi Evian Championship, Malbon has released limited edition designs to honor the prestigious tournament and all the elite female players in the field.

The collection features an Evian pink bomber jacket and white bucket hat. The Amundi Evian Championship has been sponsored by Evian since 1994 and has been known to highlight an international field of amazing female golf athletes. This limited edition collection is going to go fast.

You can shop this collection and more here.

Malbon Golf x Evian Championship apparel
Malbon Golf x Evian Championship apparel. (Malbon Golf)

We occasionally recommend interesting products, services, and gaming opportunities. If you make a purchase by clicking one of the links, we may earn an affiliate fee. Golfweek operates independently, though, and this doesn’t influence our coverage.

[mm-video type=playlist id=01es6rjnsp3c84zkm6 player_id=01evcfxp4q8949fs1e image=https://golfweek.usatoday.com/wp-content/plugins/mm-video/images/playlist-icon.png]

Rose Zhang, Rachel Heck and Augusta National Women’s Amateur winner Anna Davis among six wild cards for next LPGA major

Future stars of the women’s game are bound for the LPGA’s fourth major of the season in France.

The Amundi Evian Championship has announced six wild card selections for this year’s event, slated for July 21-24. The season’s fourth major will be held at the Evian Resort Golf Club in Évian-les-Bains, France, with an increased purse of $6.5 million and $1 million to the winner.

World No. 1 Jin Young Ko headlines the field along with No. 2 Nelly Korda and last year’s winner Minjee Lee, who won the U.S. Women’s Open at Pine Needles in June and finished runner-up at the KPMG Women’s PGA.

Five amateurs and one professional have been award exemptions this year, including top-ranked amateur Rose Zhang.

A look at the wild cards for 2022:

Minjee Lee dazzles down the stretch at Amundi Evian Championship to nab first major title in record-tying comeback

Lee is the ninth consecutive first-time LPGA major winner and the 14th in the last 15 majors.

Minjee Lee started the day seven shots back at the Amundi Evian Championship and ended it with a record-tying victory, joining idol Karrie Webb and Patty Sheehan with the largest come-from-behind triumphs in LPGA major championship history.

Lee, 25, becomes the ninth consecutive first-time major winner on the LPGA and the 14th in the last 15 majors. Long considered one of the best LPGA players without a major, Lee finally shed that distinction with her sixth LPGA title. She joins Hannah Green, Jan Stephenson and Webb as Australian major champs.

“I never really like thought about it when I was playing,” said Lee of the starting deficit. “I just tried to make as many birdies as I could.

“I think I saw the leaderboard maybe once or twice … it’s just really amazing.”

Jeongeun Lee6 entered the final round with a five-stroke lead, thanks in part to a major championship record-tying 61 on Friday. That lead was erased entirely before Lee6 made the turn, however, and Lee made her way up the board with birdies on four of her last five holes.

While American rookie Yealimi Noh was at or near the top of the board throughout the final round, Lee6 showed plenty of moxie by battling back from an opening 39 with a string of closing birdies. With Lee in the clubhouse at 18 under after a closing 64, Lee6 and Noh came to the reachable par-5 18th needing birdie to force a playoff or eagle to win outright.

After Noh’s drive settled down into the right rough she laid up, hoping to make birdie the old-fashioned way. While Noh’s birdie bid painfully slid by right, Lee two-putted for birdie from 15 feet to match Lee, who was chilling with friends while eating a nectarine by the practice putting green.

“Even if it was in the rough, just playing like a normal lie, I 100 percent would’ve gone for it,” said Noh, “but it was sitting down, and even after I hit my like punch-out it was like in a little divot sitting down.

“So could make birdie either way, but didn’t happen.”

Lee and Lee6, the 2019 U.S. Women’s Open winner who looked to join Se Ri Pak and In Gee Chun as the only players to make their first two LPGA titles majors, went back to the 18th to extend the drama in overtime. After both players found the fairway. Lee struck first with a 6-iron she won’t soon forget from 190 yards that settled 8 feet from the hole.

The Perth native gave a nod to her longtime caddie, Jason Gilroyed, for talking her into the right club for that final swing.

“Actually, I said 5-iron,” said Lee, “but Gilly said 6, so thank you to Gilly. I hit 6-iron and it was really close.”

With the pressure on, Lee6 suffered a severe misfire, finding the pond that guards the 18thgreen with 5-iron. Lee wouldn’t go on to make her eagle putt, but it didn’t matter. She was, at last, a major champion.

It marked the second this this year that a player held a five-shot lead on Sunday at a major and lost the tournament. Lexi Thompson did the same earlier this year at the U.S. Women’s Open.

“I thought I could win,” said Lee6, “last hole is par 5, so definitely we have to make birdie. Second shot was terrible.”

Ireland’s Leona Maguire recorded 10 birdies on Sunday to shoot 61 and become the third player in history to hit that mark in a major. She tied for sixth. Thai teenager Atthaya Thitikul closed with a 65 to finish solo fifth.

It was Lee’s mother, a golf instructor, who introduced she and younger brother Min Woo to the game back home in Australia. Two weeks ago, Min Woo won the Scottish Open to qualify for his first major championship, the British Open at Royal St. George’s.

Lee, who collected a $675,000 paycheck, heads home to Dallas to celebrate Min Woo’s 23rd birthday on Tuesday, and both their victories, before heading to Japan for the Summer Games.

“You know, it’s so cool,” said Lee, staring at the trophy beside her. “I still can’t believe it. Yeah, the Olympics have been on the back of my mind since Rio, so I’m really excited to play and go out there and rep my country.”

[mm-video type=playlist id=01es6rjnsp3c84zkm6 player_id=none image=https://golfweek.usatoday.com/wp-content/plugins/mm-video/images/playlist-icon.png]

Low-round alert: Jeongeun Lee6’s 61 at Evian ties best round in major history

Jeongeun Lee6 enjoyed a historic day at the Amundi Evian Championship, birdieing her last four consecutive holes to shoot 10-under 61.

Jeongeun Lee6 enjoyed a historic day at the Amundi Evian Championship, birdieing her last four consecutive holes to shoot 10-under 61, tying the lowest round in major championship history.

Hyo Joo Kim shot 61 in Round 1 of the 2014 Evian.

Lee6’s 15-under 127 total opened up a seven-stroke lead midway through the second round and sets a new 36-hole record for LPGA majors, besting the 129 mark set by In Gee Chun at this championship in 2016.

The 2019 U.S. Women’s Open champ chipped in on the eighth hole and came to the reachable par-5 ninth hole (her 18th) with a chance to make eagle and shoot 60. But a leaked tee shot to the right, placed her in the rough, and she was forced to lay up. Lee6 then confidently drained a 15-foot putt for birdie right in the heart to take her place in history.

“I heard Hyo Joo Kim’s score,” said Lee6, “so last I missed fairway … I tried, third shot. Yeah, I made birdie. It’s amazing.”

Lee6 hit 10 fairways, 15 greens and took only 23 putts on her 10-birdie day. She said she planned to focus on her backswing and her targets the rest of the way. She had two consecutive top-10 finishes coming into this week.

David Buhai, whose wife Ashleigh plays on tour, has been caddying for Lee6 since the start of the year and felt she seemed hyper-focused during Friday’s round. Buhai said it was by far the best round he’d seen up close.

“Every putt looked like it was going to go in,” said Buhai. “It was incredible. Not one nerve. Speed was just perfect.

“I had the best seat in the house and I just kept my mouth shut.”

Japan’s Ayaka Furue shot 66-68 to get to the clubhouse at 8 under. Seven-time major winner Inbee Park carded a 64 that included a double-bogey on the first hole and holds a share of third with Thai phenom Atthaya Thitikul and American Lauren Stephenson, who both shot 69.

When Lee6 won the U.S. Women’s Open in Charleston, one of the first things she said through an interpreter at the winner’s press conference was that the next time she won a tournament she’d do the interview in English. Later that year, Lee6 delivered a beautiful and emotional speech at the Rolex Awards banquet when she earned Louise Suggs Rookie of the Year honors.

At the Evian on Friday, she was as clutch during a live Golf Channel interview with Jerry Foltz after the round as she’d been on the course. And, as Foltz pointed out, she was likely more nervous about that chat than the putt for 61.

“From a personal point of view,” said Buhai, “I mean, 6’s English from the first day I met her to now is incredible. She actually I think gets my jokes now, understands them, which helps.”

Lee6 confirmed that she and Buhai have the same sense of humor and that she continues to take English lessons from a Canadian tutor once a week.

Although LPGA players are still unable to dine out on tour, Lee said she still plans to celebrate the occasion with take-out: “I need delicious food.”

 

Low-round alert: Jeongeun Lee6’s 61 at Evian ties best round in major history

Jeongeun Lee6 enjoyed a historic day at the Amundi Evian Championship, birdieing her last four consecutive holes to shoot 10-under 61.

Jeongeun Lee6 enjoyed a historic day at the Amundi Evian Championship, birdieing her last four consecutive holes to shoot 10-under 61, tying the lowest round in major championship history.

Hyo Joo Kim shot 61 in Round 1 of the 2014 Evian.

Lee6’s 15-under 127 total opened up a seven-stroke lead midway through the second round and sets a new 36-hole record for LPGA majors, besting the 129 mark set by In Gee Chun at this championship in 2016.

The 2019 U.S. Women’s Open champ chipped in on the eighth hole and came to the reachable par-5 ninth hole (her 18th) with a chance to make eagle and shoot 60. But a leaked tee shot to the right, placed her in the rough, and she was forced to lay up. Lee6 then confidently drained a 15-foot putt for birdie right in the heart to take her place in history.

“I heard Hyo Joo Kim’s score,” said Lee6, “so last I missed fairway … I tried, third shot. Yeah, I made birdie. It’s amazing.”

Lee6 hit 10 fairways, 15 greens and took only 23 putts on her 10-birdie day. She said she planned to focus on her backswing and her targets the rest of the way. She had two consecutive top-10 finishes coming into this week.

David Buhai, whose wife Ashleigh plays on tour, has been caddying for Lee6 since the start of the year and felt she seemed hyper-focused during Friday’s round. Buhai said it was by far the best round he’d seen up close.

“Every putt looked like it was going to go in,” said Buhai. “It was incredible. Not one nerve. Speed was just perfect.

“I had the best seat in the house and I just kept my mouth shut.”

Japan’s Ayaka Furue shot 66-68 to get to the clubhouse at 8 under. Seven-time major winner Inbee Park carded a 64 that included a double-bogey on the first hole and holds a share of third with Thai phenom Atthaya Thitikul and American Lauren Stephenson, who both shot 69.

When Lee6 won the U.S. Women’s Open in Charleston, one of the first things she said through an interpreter at the winner’s press conference was that the next time she won a tournament she’d do the interview in English. Later that year, Lee6 delivered a beautiful and emotional speech at the Rolex Awards banquet when she earned Louise Suggs Rookie of the Year honors.

At the Evian on Friday, she was as clutch during a live Golf Channel interview with Jerry Foltz after the round as she’d been on the course. And, as Foltz pointed out, she was likely more nervous about that chat than the putt for 61.

“From a personal point of view,” said Buhai, “I mean, 6’s English from the first day I met her to now is incredible. She actually I think gets my jokes now, understands them, which helps.”

Lee6 confirmed that she and Buhai have the same sense of humor and that she continues to take English lessons from a Canadian tutor once a week.

Although LPGA players are still unable to dine out on tour, Lee said she still plans to celebrate the occasion with take-out: “I need delicious food.”