Australia’s latest golf sensation Grace Kim has produced a unprecedented finale to clinch the victory of a lifetime when claiming the Evian Championship in France in miraculous trend.
The Sydneysider was three pictures behind within the closing spherical at Evian-les-Bains earlier than birdies on the fifteenth and sixteenth holes revived her hopes of clinching a maiden main championship.
The 24-year-old then eagled the ultimate gap following a surprising method which bounced to the again of the inexperienced earlier than feeding again right down to lower than a metre of the flag to power a sudden demise showdown with world No.2 Jeeno Thitikul.
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The Aussie’s hopes of pulling off an unforgettable comeback appeared dashed when her method to the 18th, struck with the identical four-hybrid membership that had been her saviour minutes earlier, sailed into the pond to the left of the inexperienced.
However in one other exceptional flourish, she as an alternative chipped in from off the inexperienced to increase the playoff as the gang roared in disbelief.
Thitikul was left with the identical putt she missed in regulation to win, to maintain the event alive, and made up for her miss minutes earlier by making it, second the playoff to a second gap.
With $1.8m on the road, and given one other likelihood, Kim nailed her second shot when taking part in the opening for the third time in about half-hour as her rival, having appeared sure for victory on a few events, pulled a shot to the left of the inexperienced.
Along with her adrenaline pumping, Kim wouldn’t be denied, draining an eagle putt of about six metres that by no means seemed like lacking.
That sparked a celebration for the ages for Kim, who had solely recorded two top-20 finishes in her 13 main appearances.
She later informed NBC that she “couldn’t breathe” as she watched her putt for victory stay on line till it dropped.
“I couldn’t actually see. I used to be like, ‘Is it useless straight?’ ‘Yeah.’ I’m hitting the putt. (I’m) glad it went within the gap,” she stated.
Minjee Lee, who adopted her latest win within the US LPGA Championship by ending one shot out of the playoff in a tie for third at 13-under, stormed on to the inexperienced and began spraying her mate with champagne earlier than Kim grabbed the bottle for a celebratory swig.
Steph Kyriacou, who completed runner-up within the Evian Traditional final yr, and compatriots together with Gabi Ruffels additionally raced on to the inexperienced to embrace Australia’s latest main winner, who then grabbed previous of an inflated kangaroo handed to her on the 18th.
The victory marked a surprising turnaround for Kim who, having began the day a shot off the lead, seemed down and out after bogeying two of her opening 4 holes.
She steadied however nonetheless discovered herself three pictures off the clubhouse lead of 13-under with a horror double-bogey on her twelfth gap.
However, having endured some horrible bounces and bunker lies all through her rollercoaster spherical at Evian-les-Bains, Kim demonstrated her resilience with birdies on her fifteenth and sixteenth holes to remain inside touching distance.
The Aussie stated she felt ready to imagine within the funding she and her staff had put in to make sure she was prepared to fireside within the French main and, understandably given the astonishing consequence, feels vindicated after a victory she hopes will result in additional glory.
“I began the week saying worrying is simply actually doubting my preparation, my work, the work that my staff put in,” she informed Sky Sports activities.
“I actually simply tried to again myself all 4 rounds. I don’t suppose I’ve shot in addition to I’ve this week ever, in order that mentality works. I’m going to maintain going ahead with that.”
It’s Kim’s second triumph on the LPGA Tour after a maiden success in Hawaii two years in the past.
Her taking part in associate Thitikul birdied the seventeenth gap to take a two-shot result in the 18th gap, earlier than Kim unleashed the shot of her life from the golf green to land the ball behind the flag, and watched because it rolled off a financial institution to inside 30cm for could be a kick-in eagle putt.
Her Thai rival missed the golf green from the tee after which laid up, earlier than a exact method left her with a 1.5 metre birdie putt to win.
However she missed, sending the yr’s fourth main to a playoff, and was then left shocked as Kim’s miracle on grass continued within the playoff.
Lee, who had the prospect to launch into uncommon air with a fourth main championship having began the day one-shot off the lead, did not get any actual momentum.
She was inside one or two pictures of the lead all through the ultimate spherical, earlier than a bogey on the par 5 fifteenth snuffed out her probabilities.
However a closing gap eagle elevated her in to the tie for third.
Ruffels, who began the day tied for the lead and within the closing group with Lee, misfired early with a gap gap bogey and an incapability to hit the fairways resulted within the 25-year-old fading from rivalry.
Having by no means gained an LPGA occasion, or completed top-10 in additional than a dozen main appearances, Ruffels closed with a one-over 72 to complete tied for ninth.
However the reality the Aussies stayed to look at and rejoice with Kim is a sign of the camaraderie among the many present contingent of girls’s golf stars, with Kyriacou inform foxsports.com.au earlier this yr mateship was an element of their robust showings on tour.
“I believe out right here, it’s sort of like every nation sticks with each other, however I might say the Aussies in all probability have the closest household,” she stated.
“We stick with one another most weeks (and) go for dinners and stuff. It’s like having one other household out right here, which could be very good as a result of, once more, you’re so far-off from dwelling, so to have one thing from house is healthful, I suppose.”