Evian Championship: England’s Lottie Woad misses out on historical past as Grace Kim snatches play-off win over Jeeno Thitikul | Golf Information

English novice Lottie Woad threatened main historical past earlier than Grace Kim defeated Jeeno Thitikul in a play-off to win the Evian Championship.

Woad went into the ultimate spherical 5 strokes off the tempo however charged into rivalry by firing 5 birdies in a front-nine 30, with the world novice No 1 briefly leaping into the outright lead after a birdie on the thirteenth took her to seven beneath for the spherical.

The 21-year-old cancelled out a three-putt bogey on the 14th with a birdie on the subsequent and completed with three straight pars to submit a seven-under 64 and – with six teams nonetheless to complete – set the clubhouse goal at 13 beneath.

Woad ended a shot again in tied-third, as Kim made a tap-in eagle – after a surprising method into the final – to power a play-off when Thitikul missed a birdie putt on the 72nd gap for victory.

Kim discovered the water together with her method into the primary further gap however holed out for a sensational birdie to pile strain on Thitikul, who received up and right down to match the rating and prolong the competition, then holed a long-range eagle on the second further gap to assert a maiden main title.

How Woad threatened main historical past

Woad got here into the ultimate spherical requiring a top-25 end to safe her LPGA Tour card, though ideas quicky accelerated to larger prizes when she birdied three of her opening 4 holes on Sunday morning.

She took benefit of the par-five seventh and added one other on the par-four ninth, taking her to 11 beneath, earlier than holing from eight ft on the eleventh and registering a seventh birdie of the day on the par-four thirteenth.

Woad’s par-save try lipped-out on the par-three subsequent to see her fall one behind Thitikul, who adopted a front-nine 33 by birdieing the eleventh, solely to edge again alongside the Thai participant after a surprising wedge shot arrange a six-foot birdie on the fifteenth.

Missed birdie probabilities over the ultimate two holes stored Woad at 13 beneath, as Thitikul didn’t stand up and down from the greenside bunker on the fifteenth however moved into the solo lead with a birdie on the seventeenth.

Kim – who began her remaining spherical with two bogeys in three holes – had double-bogeyed the twelfth and was three behind with 4 holes to play, solely to comply with back-to-back birdies from the fifteenth with a surprising eagle on the final to hitch Thitikul on 14 beneath.

Minjee Lee additionally made a final-hole eagle to complete tied-third alongside Woad, whereas a round-of-the-day 63 lifted Angel Yin right into a share of fifth place alongside fellow American Andrea Lee.

Ariya Jutanugarn was in rivalry after 4 consecutive birdies across the flip however ended three strokes again in tied-seventh alongside Eire’s Leona Maguire, whereas in a single day co-leader Cara Gainer ended the week in tied-14th after a final-round 74.

Woad happy with ‘enjoyable’ week and LPGA Tour probability

Lottie Woad: “It was actually enjoyable. I knew beginning the day I used to be solely like 5 off, so I wanted to have a fast begin and I did. Then it was actually simply actually enjoyable after that.

“I am simply going to take the subsequent week and talk about [LPGA Tour membership] with my household and coaches after which I will decide after that. At all times been my dream to play on the LPGA, so yeah, actually wanting ahead to it.”

Leona Maguire: “I performed some actually good golf this week. Actually proud of how I performed. In all probability one of the best golf I’ve performed in fairly some time. I knew my recreation was type of trending properly coming into this week.

“My method shot is one thing I have been working fairly a bit on, they usually have been actually, actually good this week. Yeah, a lot of positives to take out of the week.”

What’s subsequent?

The following occasion on each the LPGA Tour and Women European Tour schedule is the ISPS Handa Scottish Open, happening at Dundonald Hyperlinks from July 24-27 and stay on Sky Sports activities.

The ladies’s main season then concludes on the AIG Ladies’s Open from July 31-August 3, with Lydia Ko returning as defending champion at Royal Porthcawl. Stream the majors and extra with no contract.