Since it became the fifth major of women’s golf in 2013, the Evian Championship has crowned a litany of highly ranked champions. It’s not a tournament where surprises tend to happen.
This week, the likes of Nelly Korda and Jeeno Thitikul will try to add their own chapters to this brief history as the championship begins Thursday at Evian Resort in Evian-les-Bains, France.
World No. 1 Korda is still searching for her first win of 2025 after collecting seven titles in 2024. Thailand’s Thitikul, ranked No. 2 in the world, has yet to win a major and is coming off a frustrating Women’s PGA Championship, where she led each of the first two rounds before fading to a tie for fourth.
Still, Thitikul is only 22 years old and will have more opportunities. The 26-year-old Korda joked this week that she doesn’t recognize half the players on tour this year.
“I feel like a grandma out here,” Korda said. “But, yeah, that’s the best thing about sports in general, is that you can never stay comfortable where you are because there is a new generation, new talent coming, and they’re going to be better and have more knowledge.”
It’s not strictly a young woman’s game. Australia’s Minjee Lee — who at 29 qualifies as a tour veteran — broke a 20-month title drought when she charged past Thitikul on the weekend to win the Women’s PGA, her third career major.
“I feel like there is so many that are so young now and that are so good,” Lee said. “They’re always pushing me and pushing all of us older girls. … Obviously like I get motivation from that, but I think I’m much more self-motivated at the moment.”
Lee won her first major at the Evian in 2021. Other big names on the list of Evian winners include Canadian Brooke Henderson (2022), South Koreans Jin-Young Ko (2019) and In Gee Chun (2016) and New Zealand’s Lydia Ko (2015).
Celine Boutier became the event’s first French winner in 2023, when she ran away with a six-stroke win.
“I think every time European swing comes around, I’m very excited just coming back home, seeing my family and some friends and just feeling the energy, the atmosphere, it gives me a little boost and hopefully good energy,” Boutier said. “If I can get going those weeks, I know I get some kind of momentum for the rest of the season.”
Japan’s Ayaka Furue, just 24 at the time, pulled out a one-shot win last year. And women even younger than that are making themselves known in the game.
Lottie Woad, a 21-year-old from England, is No. 1 in the world amateur rankings and dominated a field of Ladies European Tour pros to win the Women’s Irish Open by six shots last week.
“I’m just trying to carry on the momentum,” Woad said. “If that means I can be in contention, that would be great. Just really just trying to look to play good golf and continue what I was doing last week.”
Evian Resort is a par-71, 6,504-yard course that overlooks Lake Geneva. Though perhaps overshadowed by the other majors in women’s golf, it is known for its stunning views.
“Hitting bad shots out here is not as bad as hitting it somewhere else,” Korda said.
–Field Level Media
