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Australia's Grace Kim wins second LPGA title in dramatic comeback

Published: 14 Jul. 2025, 15:52 Updated: 14 Jul. 2025, 18:23

Grace Kim plays on the fourth hole on her way to win the Amundi Evian Championship in France on July 13. [AP/YONHAP]

Australia's Grace Kim pulled off a dramatic comeback to win the Amundi Evian Championship on Sunday, capturing her second LPGA title and first major with an eagle in the second playoff hole.

Kim, 25, beat Jeeno Thitikul of Thailand at the Evian Resort Golf Club in Évian-les-Bains, France, after both players finished the final round tied at 14-under, 270.

Kim endured a roller coaster final round. She opened with a bogey on the par-4 first hole and dropped another stroke at the fourth. An eagle on the par-5 seventh and back-to-back birdies on the ninth and 10th revived her chances for the title, but a double bogey on the 12th threatened to derail her run.

She recovered with birdies on the 15th and 16th before reaching the par-5 18th at 12-under. A precise second shot set up a an eagle putt, which she converted to join Thitikul at 14-under. Thitikul missed a short birdie putt that would have sealed the major title.

The playoff on the par-5 18th was filled with drama. In the first playoff hole on the par-5 18th, Kim's second shot landed in a penalty area.

After taking a drop, her fourth shot found the hole for a birdie. Thitikul also made a birdie, forcing a second playoff.

"I had a feeling that it was going to be a good chip shot,” Kim said during a post-tournament press conference about the first playoff. “Yeah, I mean, obviously I was pretty bummed to find out that my ball was in the middle of the water. But, again, it’s not quite finished until the very end.

“I wasn’t worried. Dropped the ball and it kind of ended up in a pretty decent lie and just wanted to make sure I got it there."

On the second extra hole, Kim avoided mistakes and set up an eagle putt, which she drained to clinch the title.

Thitikul’s second shot again missed the green, making a birdie.

“I started the week saying worrying is just really doubting my preparation, my work, the work that my team put in,” Kim said. “I really just tried to back myself all four rounds. I don’t think I’ve shot as well as I have this week ever, so that mentality works. I’m going to keep going forward with that.

“Obviously it’s a huge achievement for me. 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."

Kim earned $1.2 million in prize money, becoming the fifth Australian to win the Evian Championship.

Grace Kim poses with the trophy after winning the Amundi Evian Championship at Evian Resort Golf Club, in Evian-Les-Bains, France on July 13. [AFP/YONHAP]

The victory marks Kim’s second LPGA title following her maiden win at the Lotte Championship in April 2023.

Australian golfers performed strongly at this year’s Evian Championship, with Minjee Lee tying for third and Gabriela Ruffels tying for 10th.

Lee So-mi, who began the final round tied for third at 10-under, dropped two strokes and finished tied for 14th with compatriot Choi Hye-jin.

Choi Hye-jin looks on after a shot during the third round of the Amundi Evian Championship at Evian Resort Golf Club in France on July 12. [AFP/YONHAP]

A victory for Lee would have marked back-to-back LPGA wins, as she won the Dow Championship — a team event in which pairs compete — alongside Im Jin-hee last month.

The Evian Championship was the fourth major of the 2025 season, with the AIG Women's Open remaining as the last major of the campaign.

No Korean has won a major this season, although the ongoing season has seen five Korean winners across four competitions — Im and Lee won the Dow Championship together.

The four titles secured by Korean golfers this season have already surpassed the number of titles from Korean contenders last season at three, which had marked the fewest LPGA wins among Koreans in 13 years.

Korean golfers once dominated the Tour, as they went from 15 wins in 2017 to four in 2022, five in 2023 and three last year.

The LPGA Tour will continue, with the ISPS Handa Women's Scottish Open teeing off in Scotland on July 24.

The Tour will end its European swing on Aug. 3, before returning to North America.

Its Asian swing will tee off in October starting with the Buick LPGA Shanghai.

Translated from the JoongAng Ilbo using generative AI and edited by Korea JoongAng Daily staff.
BY PAIK JI-HWAN, KO BONG-JUN [[email protected]]