The last major championship of 2014 on the LPGA Tour did not disappoint golf fans. The views of Lake Geneva and the beautiful French countryside, coupled with superb golf on the course, provided great drama for everyone.
Yet another teenage sensation, South Korea’s Hyo Joo Kim fired a final round three-under-par 68 to win her first major championship at the Evian Championship over the weekend.
She turned professional in October, 2012 at the age of 17, after a very successful amateur career and immediately signed a large sponsorship agreement with Lotte.
Kim immediately yielded a positive return by winning the Hyundai China Ladies Open on the Korean Ladies Professional Golf Tour (KLPGA) in her second start as a professional.
She missed being named KLPGA’s Player of the Year in her first season as a professional, but did earn Rookie of the Year honors.
Kim has only played nine LPGA Tour events, but has never finished outside the top 25. The Evian Championship was only her third start on the LPGA Tour in 2014. She finished T-7 at the Swinging Skirts LPGA Classic and T-4 at the Lotte Championship earlier this year.
Koreans garnered four of the top five spots at the final major championship of the year.
Karrie Webb, the only non-Korean in the top-five, finished runner-up. She began the day one shot behind Kim and her final round 68 left her one shot shy of the win.
Mi Jung Hur and Ha Na Yang finished two shots back of Kim at nine-under-par good enough for joint third.
Na Yeon Choi began the final round tied for sixth and four shots behind the 54-hole leader. Four birdies on her first four holes got her within two shots of the lead, but that was as close as she would get. Her final round four-under-par 67 left her alone in fifth.
Defending champion Suzann Pettersen was near the 36-hole lead with rounds of 67-69, but a third-round 74 moved her down the leaderboard and she finished solo sixth.
Paula Creamer used a five-under-par 66 on Sunday to move up eight spots to finish seventh in France.
Lydia Ko finished runner-up in the 2013 Evian Championship and has been hampered by a hand injury that will require surgery this fall. She played her normal steady golf and finished T-8 along with Brittany Lincicome.
Another teenager, 19-year-old Lexi Thompson posted all four rounds in the 70’s and finished T-10.
World No 1 Stacy Lewis never seemed comfortable on the Evian Resort Golf Club. She was among the leaders after 36 holes, but a pair of 73’s on the weekend dropped her to a T-16 finish.
U.S. Women’s Open Champion, Michelle Wie tried to return to competitive action at the Evian Championship after withdrawing from the Meijer Classic last month, but her injured hand forced to withdraw on Thursday.
Nineteen-year-old Kim moves to No. 10 in the Rolex Rankings and adds another name to an already crowded list of teenage talent in the women’s game.
With young stars like, Kim, Ko, Thompson, Minjee Lee, Ariya Jutanugarn and Charley Hull, the future of women’s golf seems secure for years to come.