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Lee So-mi falters in final round of LPGA major in France

Published: 14 Jul. 2025, 09:32

Lee So-mi plays on the fourth hole during the last round of the Evian Championship women's golf tournament, in Evian, eastern France, July 13. [AP/YONHAP]

Lee So-mi missed out on a chance to win her first LPGA major title after fading away in the final round in France on Sunday.

The 26-year-old Korean shot a two-over 73 to close out the Amundi Evian Championship at eight-under 276 at Evian Resort Golf Club in Evian-les-Bains, France. Lee had four birdies, two bogeys and two double bogeys Sunday to tie for 14th place.

Grace Kim of Australia won the tournament in a playoff over Jeeno Thitikul of Thailand after both players finished 72 holes at 14-under 270.

Lee started the final round in a four-way tie for third at 10-under with Thitikul, Kim and another Australian, Minjee Lee. They were one stroke behind two co-leaders, Cara Gainer of England and Gabriela Ruffels of Australia.

With both Gainer and Ruffels stumbling out of the gate, Lee So-mi shared the early lead with Thitikul after making her first birdie of the day on the second hole.

But Lee's day abruptly turned for the worse on the par-3 fifth hole, where she put her tee shot into water in front of the green en route to a double bogey. At that point, Lee was two off the lead at nine-under, with three other players sitting at 10-under.

Lee So-mi looks on after a shot during the third round of the Amundi Evian Championship at Evian Resort Golf Club, in Evian-Les-Bains, eastern France, on July 12. [AFP/YONHAP]

Lee made birdie on the eighth but missed a short birdie putt on the par-5 ninth to make the turn at 10-under.

Lee moved to 11-under with a birdie on the 10th hole but gave back a shot on the next hole to fall three shots off the lead.

After three consecutive pars, a disastrous double bogey on the 15th hole virtually sealed Lee's fate.

She made another bogey on the 16th to drop to seven-under.

Lee salvaged a two-putt birdie on the par-5 18th and finished one stroke out of her fourth consecutive top-10 finish.

Another Korean player, Choi Hye-jin, also tied for 14th at eight-under after shooting an even 71 in the final round. No other player from the country ended up inside the top 20.

Yonhap