Former champion Kim Hyo-joo to vie for 2nd LPGA major title at Evian Championship

Kim Hyo-joo will be in pursuit of her second career LPGA major title this week in France, a dozen years after notching her maiden victory in the European nation.

Kim will be among 21 Korean players teeing off at the Amundi Evian Championship, which will take place at Evian Resort Golf Club in Evian-les-Bains, France, from Thursday to Sunday.

They will vie for the total purse of $9.1 million, with the champion set to take home $1,365,000.

At No. 3, Kim is the highest-ranked Korean player entering this week. She has won twice on the LPGA Tour this season and has also recorded two victories on the Korean tour, including at the Lotte Open in Incheon on Sunday.

Kim won the 2014 Evian title as a 19-year-old non-LPGA member, holding off Hall of Famer Karrie Webb by a stroke. Kim has won eight more LPGA tournaments since, but success at majors has proven elusive for the veteran. Since the start of 2024, Kim has managed only two top-10 finishes in 13 majors.

After overcoming a three-stroke deficit to win the Lotte Open on Sunday, Kim said that she will head to France feeling more confident about her game.

“I got my feel back over the course of the Lotte Open,” Kim said. “It gave me confidence that I can play well at the upcoming major. I am looking forward to playing at the Evian Championship.”

Among other Koreans, world No. 7 Ryu Hae-ran will go for her second straight major victory after enjoying her breakthrough moment at the KPMG Women’s PGA Championship two weeks ago.

By capturing her first career major there, Ryu has moved past Kim in major statistical rankings for the season, including the Player of the Year points and scoring average.

Ryu’s victory snapped a winless drought by Korean players at LPGA majors at nine. Korea has not seen back-to-back major winners since Lee Mi-rim, Kim A-lim and Kim Sei-young won three in a row in 2020.

Ryu trails American star Nelly Korda in both categories. Korda, world No. 1, leads the LPGA Tour this year with four victories, including her fourth career major at the U.S. Women’s Open in June. Korda has yet to win a major outside the United States.

The Korean contingent also includes 2019 Evian champion Ko Jin-young, amateur sensation Yang Yun-seo and leading Rookie of the Year contender Hwang You-min.

Yonhap