Is there another Evian Championship for Australasia?
Minjee Lee – Australasia’s latest Evian Champion (2021) – photo Ladies European Tour
The Amundi Evian Championship is the 4th of five major championships played in 2023 and on Thursday in the beautiful setting of Evian les Bains on the shores of Lake Geneva in France, seven Australasians will tee it up in pursuit of a share of the US$6.5 million purse.
Lydia Ko, Minjee Lee, Hannah Green, Grace Kim, Stephanie Kyriacou, Sarah Kemp and Karis Davidson have each earned a start in the event which at one stage carried the largest cheque in the game but while still lucrative, events such as the US Women’s Open, the KPMG PGA Championship and the AIG Women’s Open now offer larger purses.
That group will look to add to the five previous wins of Australasians in the event, both Lydia Ko and Minjee Lee chasing a second victory after this event became the first major for both.
Rachel Hetherington, Wendy Doolan, Karrie Webb, along with Ko and Lee are the previous winners although only Ko and Lee have won the event as a major.
Lydia Ko – the 2015 winner but struggling for form – photo LET
Ko has been four times inside the top three in this championship including her win in 2015 but her most recent form is well below her best as she appears to battle swing improvements. Without a top 30 in her last four starts, Ko needs a significant turnaround to be competitive this week.
After a sluggish start to the 2023 season, Lee has been building momentum of late, top twenties in each of her last six starts an indication of her improving form, including when 7th at her last start.
Lee has only one top ten in eight starts in the event although that was when winning in 2021.
Hannah Green has had mixed results to date in 2023, winning in Los Angeles but some rather ordinary efforts since until a 13th place at the US Women’s Open at her last start.
In three starts in this event, she has yet to record a finish better than 30th.
Grace Kim will play the event for the first occasion, but she has given plenty of evidence in her rookie season, that she is capable of performing well at this level. Four top twenties at her last four starts suggest she is ready for another big week despite her newness to this rather unique venue.
Stephanie Kyriacou is playing the event for the third occasion with a 31st place finish her best. Kyriacou finished 4th at her last start on the LPGA Tour and appears to be building momentum and confidence at this level.
Sarah Kemp plays her 8th Evian Championship in which she has a best finish of 19th in 2021 although she has missed only one cut in that time.
Kemp played well earlier in the season in events in Australia and on the LPGA Tour but the last couple of moths have been a battle for the New South Wales golfer.
Karis Davidson will also tee it up in Evian les Bains for the first occasion and having missed her last four cuts in succession in LPGA Tour events she has a big task to even make the weekend.
