Kim wins Evian in playoff for 1st LPGA major title

EVIAN-LES-BAINS, France -- Grace Kim delivered 1 stunning changeable aft different Sunday successful the Evian Championship, starting with an eagle to unit a playoff and different eagle to bushed Jeeno Thitikul connected the 2nd other spread to marque her archetypal LPGA triumph a large title.

Kim, whose 2-foot eagle putt connected the par-5 18th successful regularisation gave her a 4-under 67, appeared to beryllium conscionable arsenic amazed arsenic everyone other erstwhile she rolled successful a 12-foot eagle putt to triumph the playoff. The 24-year-old Australian calmly placed her manus implicit her rima and stood inactive earlier doubling implicit and breaking into a wide smile.

Thitikul's biggest situation had been English amateur Lottie Woad, who was coming disconnected a triumph successful the Irish Women's Open and astatine 1 constituent had the pb connected the backmost 9 of Evian Resort. She closed with a 64 and past waited to spot if that would beryllium enough.

Woad was bidding to go the archetypal amateur to triumph a large since Catherine Lacoste astatine the 1967 U.S. Women's Open.

Thitikul birdied the 17th to instrumentality the lead, and the Thai subordinate was connected the verge of her archetypal large erstwhile she laid up abbreviated of the pond and deed wedge into 8 feet connected the last hole.

But determination was Kim, blasting a fairway metallic onto the green. The shot rolled backmost down the slope to 2 feet for eagle to necktie for the lead. Thitikul's birdie putt for the rubric missed right. She changeable 67 and joined Kim astatine 14-under 270, 1 up of Woad and Minjee Lee (68).

Back to the 18th successful the playoff, Thitikul again looked similar a victor erstwhile Kim's 2nd changeable bounced connected a cart path, implicit immoderate rocks and into the pond. Thitikul was conscionable near of the greenish successful two. Kim took her punishment drop, past chipped successful for birdie crossed the green.

Thitikul had to marque an 8-foot birdie putt to widen the playoff, which she did. Playing the 18th for the 3rd time, Kim again delivered different quality implicit the pond and onto the greenish to astir 12 feet.

Thitikul, who had tiny insects buzzing astir her shot successful the collar of a bunker, chipped weakly to astir 6 feet. She could lone ticker arsenic Kim ended it with an eagle.

That extended what already is simply a grounds streak successful the LPGA Tour's 75-year history, the 18th consecutive tourney to commencement a play with a antithetic winner. It besides makes 13 antithetic winners successful the past 13 majors.

Kim won for the 2nd clip connected the LPGA, adding to her rubric successful Hawaii 2 years ago.