(Reuters) -A career that appeared stuck in second gear took a dramatic turn on Sunday as Grace Kim produced a stunning finish to become Australia's fifth major winner in women's golf at the Evian Championship.
The former Youth Olympics champion was three shots adrift of the lead after 14 holes at Evian-les-Bains in the French Alps but went birdie-birdie-par-eagle to force her way into a playoff with Thai world number two Jeeno Thitikul.
Kim's charge looked over when she dunked her approach to the 18th into a green-side pond in the first extra hole.
Instead, she chipped in for birdie over the same pond to force another hole, then drained a 20-foot eagle putt to deny Thitikul and claim one of the great wins in major golf.
In her third season on the LPGA Tour, Kim had been treading water with only one top-10 finish in her previous 11 starts but said she had come to Evian-les-Bains with a different mindset.
"Obviously it’s a huge achievement for me. I’ve had a lot of doubts early this year. I was kind of losing motivation,” said the 24-year-old, whose only previous win was in Hawaii in 2023.
"I kind of had to get some hard conversations done with the team. Yeah, kind of had to wake up a little bit.
"So to be sitting here next to this trophy is definitely surreal."
Australian women's golf is in a good spot.
Kim's win comes weeks after compatriot Minjee Lee won the Women's PGA Championship, shrugging off a lean period for her third major.
Lee watched as Kim holed the winning putt on Sunday and bolted onto the green to spray her with champagne.
Kim joins a select list of Australian major winners in women's golf, the others being seven-times champion Karrie Webb, three-times winner Jan Stephenson and Hannah Green.
"I saw there is a picture of Karrie as you walk into the locker room, walking down 18 as well, so seeing that each day is motivating," said the Sydney native.
"Obviously Minjee’s first major was this one and this is now mine as well."
(Reporting by Ian Ransom in Melbourne; Editing by Peter Rutherford)
