The Evian Championship might be the least anticipated of all the nine Majors – shortest history, ordinary course – but this year it produced the shot of 2025.
The obvious contenders will be something from Rory McIlroy’s final round at Augusta or JJ Spaun’s 65-footer to seal the US Open but what the Australian did in France was even more impressive.
In regulation play Kim hit a 4-hybrid to kick-in distance to reach 14-under and give herself a chance of a play-off – Jeeno Thitikul then missed from eight feet for the victory.
In extra time Kim then saw her 4-hybrid sail wide and right and finish in the water. But, after taking a drop and with Thitikul just through the back of the 18th green, she somehow regrouped and chipped in from 30 yards.
If this had happened in the men’s game, or even one of the other women’s Majors, we’d have been watching this on a loop ever since.
The run-up to Kim’s chip-in adds another layer of brilliance. She double-bogeyed the 12th to fall back to 10-under but she then birdied 15 and 16 before adding that eagle at the 72nd hole. Lottie Woad was already in the clubhouse at -13 so she knew she had to make a late run and she pulled it off.
“Obviously I was pretty bummed to find out that my ball was in the middle of the water,” she explained afterwards.
“But, again, it’s not quite finished until the very end. I wasn’t worried, dropped the ball and it kind of ended up in a pretty decent lie and just wanted to make sure I got it there. Yeah, just happened to have chipped it in. I don’t know if I can do it again. That was great.
“I had a feeling that it was going to be a good chip shot. I’ll definitely take the result. Just knowing that Jeeno was going to make a good shot, like just expect the good to make birdie from there as well.
“I knew I had to give it my all. I lost a shot in the water. Just used that 58 and chipped it on and released and went in the hole. I don’t know how it happened really. All three times I played that 18th hole I hit the same club, which was a 4-hybrid. That will be staying in the bag.”
One hole later she found the 18th green and rolled in a 12-foot eagle putt to become a Major champion.
So she played the 18th hole three times in the space of an hour and played it in five under par.
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