Australia's Grace Kim wins playoff thriller to clinch first major title at Evian Championship
Kim recovered from four shots behind in a most dramatic final round to clinch victory over world No 2 Jeeno Thitikul on the second playoff hole at the Evian Championship in France.
'I don't know how it happened, really,' said the incredulous Kim after her astounding eagle-birdie-eagle finish landed her the crown in the fourth major of the year.
With three eagles in a crazy final-round 67, Kim prevailed with a 14-under-par 270 winning total to join Karrie Webb, Minjee Lee, Hannah Green and Jan Stephenson as only Australia's fifth female major winner.
Thitikul appeared on track to herself capture her maiden major after the trio of Aussies, Kim, Lee and Gabriela Ruffels, faltered down the stretch at the Evian Resort Club on Sunday.
Ruffels had shared the lead while fellow 24-year-old Kim and triple major-winning great Lee were just one shot behind entering the final round in the beautiful French Alps, near Lake Geneva.
Grace Kim gets it done with an eagle on the second playoff hole 💪 She's a major champ! pic.twitter.com/KUBodnh1Il
But after a crazy day of twists and turns, Kim found herself in a playoff with Thitikul after delivering a contender for shot of the year for a spectacular eagle on the closing par-five 18th hole.
Thitikul still had the chance to win but missed a short sliding downhill putt before Kim tapped in for eagle to force the playoff.
The Thai then looked certain to win on the first extra hole when Kim hit her second shot into the hazard.
But the Sydneysider miraculously chipped in for birdie to extend the playoff, before prevailing on the second extra hole when Thitikul erred again and could not match Kim's eagle.
'I wasn't worried,' said Kim, reflcting on her amazing chip. 'Dropped the ball and it kind of ended up in a pretty decent lie and I just wanted to make sure I got it there. Yeah, just happened to have chipped it in. I don't know if I can do it again. That was great.'
But earlier in the day, Kim had felt she had missed the boat after she had double-bogeyed the 12th hole.
'I thought I was out of it,' she said. 'But I just said to myself and to my caddy, 'I've got nothing else to lose'.'
It was the cue for her to play almost as if in a trance over the clutch late holes and in the playoff.
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What was she thinking when she stood over the 12ft eagle putt to make history on that second playoff hole?
'Just looked straight at the hole. That's what my caddie told me to do and I did it,' she said. 'Just all happened quickly.'
Kim's epic victory secured Australia a second straight major after Lee won the Women's PGA Championship only three weeks ago.
After closing with a 67 to post a four-round 14-under-270 total, Kim ultimately only edged out Lee – who closed with a 68 – by one shot.
Ruffels' third-round co-leader and fellow former tennis ace, England's Cara Gainer, was quick to fade out of the picture with four bogeys in the first five holes.
For Kim, a four-time winner of Karrie Webb's scholarship, which has given her the chance to learn from Australia's greatest champion, it was a potentially life-changing win.
'It's a huge achievement for me,' she said. 'I've had a lot of doubts early this year. I was kind of losing motivation. I kind of had to get some hard conversations done with the team. Yeah, kind of had to wake up a little bit.
'So to be sitting here next to this trophy is definitely surreal.'
Completing a stellar championship for Australia's exciting batch of stars, 2024 runner-up Steph Kyriacou had another last-day charge to storm home with a 64 to tie for 14th.
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