Evian-les-Bains: A Majestic Stage for a Dramatic Climax – 2025 Amundi Evian Championship Final

2025’s EXCITEMENT CLIMAXES EVIAN CHAMPIONSHIPS AMAZING PLAY-OFF by Susanne Kemper

Superb playing conditions welcomed the world’s top players once again to Evian-les-Bains, where the 2025 Major Championship unfolded across the undulating, demanding Championship Course. Bathed in sun and soaring summer temperatures, the field delivered thrilling golf in a setting unlike any other — with a refreshing sprinkle of rain late Sunday, just enough to cool the air before the storm of the finale. Australia’s Grace Kim becomes the third player to earn her first Major victory at Evian, following France’s Céline Boutier in 2023 and Japan’s Ayaka Furue in 2024.

With scores tied at the 18th on Sunday after 72 holes, Kim and Thailand’s Jeeno Thitikul advanced to a sudden-death playoff. Both players found the fairway off the tee, poised to attack the green. Kim struck first but missed right, her ball finding water. Thitikul played safely into the rough left of the green. Kim, unfazed, dropped, chipped, and astonishingly holed out for birdie. Thitikul responded but couldn’t match. Back they went to the 18th tee. Once again, both drives found the fairway. Kim, slightly shorter, reached the green with her second shot, leaving ten feet for eagle. Thitikul found a similar line as before and chipped close. But Kim calmly drained the putt — an eagle to win the Championship.

Few champions can claim a final stretch as heroic as Kim’s Eagle-Birdie-Eagle. With a closing 67, she captured her second career Tour win — and her very first Major.

Initially stunned, Kim remained dazed even during post-round interviews. “I couldn’t breathe. I couldn’t really see. I just thought, is it dead straight? Yeah. I’m hitting the putt. Glad it went in.” With a glowing smile, she added, “The same 4-hybrid for all three shots — I guess it’s staying in the bag for a while.” Having started the final day tied for third, Kim’s triumph vaulted her up the Rolex Rankings and into the top three for the Rolex Annika Major Award — while also enriching Australia’s legacy in women’s Major golf.

World No. 1 Nelly Korda, a fan favorite and perennial contender at Evian, came in chasing her first win at this venue. She battled all week to stay in contention. Her sister, Jess Korda — now a mother — returned to Evian in a new role as commentator, having played the event with great success in years past. Speaking to Golfstars, she shared: “It’s so fun being on this side for once. But I have to head home — swimming lessons start this week for my son, who’s been here with me.”

Elsewhere, three-time Major champion Minjee Lee showed class after a rocky start, climbing back into the hunt. And rising English star Lottie Woad lit up Evian in her amateur debut. Co-leading late Sunday, she closed with a tournament-best 64 to finish solo third — then promptly announced she would turn professional. After winning the 2025 LET KPMG Ladies Irish Open the week before, Woad’s rise feels both unstoppable and refreshingly grounded. Currently playing collegiate golf at Florida State University, she is widely considered one of the most talented amateurs in the world.

On the French side, 2023 champion Céline Boutier finished at -4, tied with Perrine Delacour and promising newcomer Nastasia Nadaud. Nadaud, from nearby Aix-les-Bains, impressed in her first Amundi Evian Championship — making the cut and holding strong until a few stumbles on Sunday.

But beyond the leaderboard, the Domaine of Evian-les-Bains stood as the silent star of the week — a truly exceptional golf destination, worthy of such a prestigious event. Nestled between lake and mountain, the course offers a dreamlike canvas: fairways shaped by the land’s natural undulations, views that stretch over the shimmering waters of Lake Geneva, and a calm that lingers even amid the drama of playoff golf. Here, sporting intensity and timeless elegance coexist in rare harmony. While the roars of the gallery echoed through the hills, the spirit of Evian remained unchanged — poised, poetic, and quietly majestic.

And in a delightful twist, Porsche’s sponsorship brought added elegance to the event — with luxury rides and sleek energy around the grounds.

The Amundi Evian Championship 2025 will be remembered as one of the most dramatic in its history. Don’t miss 2026 — where great golf and unforgettable moments await, in one of Europe’s most magical settings.