Grace Under Pressure

Grace Kim has a flair for the dramatic. That's putting it mildly after Sunday delivered one of the wildest finishes you'll ever see in golf. The 24-year-old Aussie went eagle-birdie-eagle to force and then win a playoff against Jeeno Thitikul at the Amundi Evian Championship. It's the first major victory for Kim, who came to the 18th in regulation two back knowing she needed an eagle and hoping against all odds that Thitikul would only manage to make par.

What played out from there is a series of shots from Kim that any pro would sell their soul for. First, the 4-hybrid approach in regulation to just over a foot secured the eagle and the playoff once Thitikul missed her birdie attempt. Then, the jaw-dropping chip-in birdie on the first playoff hole brought her chances for the win back from the dead. Lastly, on the second playoff hole, the double-breaker eagle putt put the dagger in Jeeno and ended one of the craziest stretches of major championship golf in recent memory. That's a career's worth of a highlight reel all within about an hour.

This one will take a while to sink in for Kim. She struggled with doubts about her game after winning early in her pro career two years ago. A talented junior, Kim was on-site at Hazeltine in 2019 to see fellow Aussie Hannah Green win her major championship. She was a guest of Karrie Webb that week, whose mentorship over the years has helped shape Kim into the golfer she is today. Any doubts will be put at bay for the time being after going toe-to-toe with Jeeno and withstanding a crowded leaderboard and a Sunday run from amateur Lottie Woad. The sensational 64 from Woad gave her an outside chance of becoming the first amateur to win a major since Catherine Lacoste in 1967. She settled for T-3 and earned the final points needed to qualify for LPGA membership via the LEAP program once she decides to turn professional, a decision that could come in the next week or so.

This one will also take a while for Jeeno to forget. She'll have to carry the unfortunate moniker of "best player without a major" for at least a few more weeks. The trophy was in her grasp on the 18th tee. She has more than enough talent to win future majors in bunches, but this one, even for the lighthearted Thai, is going to leave some scar tissue. A small upside for Jeeno is having two weeks off, which gives her time for a rare visit back home to Thailand. Just the medicine she may need after such a heartbreaking loss.

And so another Evian Championship ends in dramatic fashion. For all of its warts and checkered history, when the women arrive at the lakeside resort every July, a week full of excitement ensues. At 99th in the world, Grace Kim ends the trend of top-ranked players winning the Evian, but the tour de force of shotmaking she put on display leaves no doubt about the quality of player she is. It may be the new kid on the block, but the Evian is carving out its identity amongst the majors.

‍This piece originally appeared in the Fried Egg Golf newsletter. Subscribe for free and receive golf news and insight every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday.