Ayaka Furue sank an eagle on the final hole in the final round of the Amundi Evian Championship. In that pressure-packed moment, it was a shot that determined the final outcome.
The 24-year-old golfer's clutch putt came at the opportune time, clinching victory on the par-5 18th hole at Evian Resort Golf Club on Sunday, July 14 in Evian-les-Bains, France.
Furue carded a 6-under 65 in the final round, edging overnight leader Stephanie Kyriacou of Australia by a stroke. Kyriacou shot a 67 in the last round.
Thailand's Patty Tavatanakit had a dazzling 8-under 63 on Sunday and finished a stroke adrift of Kyriacou at 17-under 267.
Furue made birdies on the 14th, 15th and 16th holes to solidify her title chances. But an even-par 4 effort on the penultimate hole put her in a three-way tie with Kyriacou and Tavatanakit. The Thai golfer had already wrapped up her round before the Japanese and the Australian played it.
Kyriacou had a birdie on her last hole. Furue got it done in three strokes.
"I didn't believe that I can get the major win so I'm so happy right now," said Furue, who is ranked 21st in the world.
She added, "I feel so honored to be the winner of a major championship, but I feel like I put in the effort to win every tournament."
Strong Start in the Tournament for Ayaka Furue
For Furue, Sunday's successful completion of the tournament came after she shot back-to-back 65s in the first two rounds, followed by a 70 in the third round.
The Kobe native has had nine top-10 finishes during the 2024 LPGA Tour season, including strong performances at the US Women's Open (tied for sixth place) and Women's PGA Championship (tied for eighth).
On Sunday, an aggressive mindset paid off for Furue.
"I felt like I had to play aggressively today, but after I started playing, I was a little bit frustrated because I wasn't getting many birdies," Furue, who finished fourth at the 2021 Evian Championship, told reporters. "After the 15th hole, I gained confidence and that was really good for me."
Furue joins Hinako Shibuno (2019 Women's British Open) and World Golf Hall of Fame inductee Hisako Higuchi (1997 LPGA Championship) as Japanese-born women to win major titles.
In addition, Yuka Saso, who was born in the Philippines to a Japanese father and a Filipino mother, captured her second US Women's Open title on June 2. Saso now represents Japan on the global stage.
How Ayaka Furue Approached Playing the Final Hole
After three rounds on the Evian course in recent days, Furue was familiar with the surroundings and its characteristics.
In her mind, Furue later recounted, she outlined a course of action for the 18th hole. She also had to cope with nerves late in the round, telling a news conference, "I was getting nervous and nervous when I walk through the 17th, 18th."
Furue had bogeys on the fourth and 12th holes. She shot a 32 on the back nine, with one hole that frustrated her.
"I didn't want to get any bogeys on the last nine holes, but I did," said Furue. "It feels like it was kind of a little bit of pressure for me, but [I] just keep trusting myself and it worked."
Among Japan's other Evian Championship entrants, Akie Iwai placed joint 10th with American Ally Ewing at 9-under 275 and Mao Saigo finished in a four-way tie for 35th at 4-under 280.
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Author: Ed Odeven
Find Ed on JAPAN Forward's dedicated website, SportsLook. Follow his [Japan Sports Notebook] on Sundays, [Odds and Evens] during the week, and X (formerly Twitter) ＠ed_odeven.
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