LPGA Tour makes season's first European stop in Evian

They are joined by another 34 players in the top 40 on the Rolex Rankings, as well as defending Evian champion and World No. 45 Angela Stanford.

 

Evian is the first week of a two-week major stretch, followed by next week’s AIG Women’s British Open at Woburn Golf Club in Milton Keynes, England. While this is a rare phenomenon, it is not the first time majors have been held in consecutive weeks. In 1952 and 1953, the Women's Western Open (no longer a major) and the U.S. Women's Open were played in consecutive weeks. In 1956, 1958, 1959 and 1960, the Women's Western Open and the KPMG Women’s PGA Championship were played in consecutive weeks. In 1955, the Women's Western Open, U.S. Women's Open and KPMG Women’s PGA Championship were played three in a row, but with an off-week between the U.S. Women's Open and the KPMG Women’s PGA Championship.

There are several other times when majors were played consecutively, but with at least one off-week between them. Most recently, the 2011 KPMG Women’s PGA Championship, won by Yani Tseng, and the U.S. Women's Open, won by So Yeon Ryu, were played back to back, but with an off-week between them.

 

WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT THE EVIAN CHAMPIONSHIP

• This is the seventh edition of The Evian Championship since it became a major championship in 2013 
• From 2000-2012 (13 years) the tournament was held as a non-major event co-sanctioned by the Ladies European Tour and the LPGA, called the Evian Masters (2000-2008) and the Evian Masters presented by Societe Generale (2009-2012)
• The tournament was held solely as an LET event from 1994-1999 called the Evian Masters
• Defending champion Angela Stanford won the 2018 event for her first career major title in her 436th career LPGA start
• 37 of the top 40 players in the Rolex Women’s World Golf Rankings will compete this week
• 26 different countries will be represented in the field this week, including three players from France
• The Evian Championship is the fourth major of the 2019 LPGA Tour season and will be followed up by the Tour’s final major, the AIG Women’s British Open (August 1-4, 2019) 

 

WORLD NO. 1 SUNG HYUN PARK LEARNS TOUGH LESSONS FROM 2018

Sung Hyun Park took a two-week break before heading into this week’s Evian Championship, where is she making her fourth career start. Last year, Park missed the cut in Evian and also at the U.S. Women’s Open, and two missed major cuts were a jolt to her system.

 

“After being cut from last year's tournament I was a little shocked,” said Park, who shot a 6-over 77 in the second round in 2018. “It was the first time my sister came and watched a major tournament, so she felt sad for me, too. It was hard to swallow the results, but it was a good learning experience. This year I feel that my shots and putts are better than last year.”

 

Park is searching for the third major victory of her career and feels positive about her game. She is especially excited about a big adjustment to the course, changing the No. 18 from a par-4 to a driveable par-5.

 

“When I saw that the 18th was changed from par-4 to par-5 I was actually glad,” said Park, who birdied No. 18 three times and made six pars in her three Evian appearances. “I'm not saying that it is easier. There is definitely a long distance for the second shot and there is a hazard right in front of it, but I believe that it's going to be more fun now that it's a par-5.”

 

So will she aim for that final green in two? With a wily smile, she quickly answered that question with one word. “Yes.”

 

KORDA READY FOR RARE EVIAN HEAT

The 2019 Evian Championship marks the major competition’s return to the July dates it held before it joined the major ranks in 2013. After poor weather plagued the championship for the last five years, the move was met with near unanimous applause. So instead of the autumnal chill of mid-September, this week’s field is faced with temperatures soaring into the 90s and blazingly bright French skies.

 

Jessica Korda is planning to “conserve as much energy as possible” as she heads into the stretch of consecutive majors, joining next week AIG Women’s British Open, which is also forecasting to be a warm week. “It's obviously beautiful. I think the move to this time of year is going to be really positive,” said Korda of the week in Evian. “Obviously a lot warmer than we're used to.”

 

This week marks Korda’s 45th major appearance and the 26-year-old American, who has five LPGA titles to her name, would love to add that first major win to her victory roster here at Evian.

 

“I think we've really built up to event to something really, really cool. Even the celebration on 18 is something that you definitely want. You want to see that U.S. flag coming down. We saw it for Stanford last year, which was really cool,” said Korda. “Just like the last couple years, I mean, the atmosphere here is amazing. And like I said, them moving it to this time year I think it'll be even better. We won't have to be worried about the weather as much and hopefully play four great rounds out here.

 

NOTABLE FIRST-ROUND GROUPINGS

Highlighting the morning groupings are three of the LPGA’s 2019 major winners – Hannah Green, Jeongeun Lee6 and Jin Young Ko at 8:36 a.m. 

 

Defending champion Angela Stanford tees off with fellow Evian champions Anna Nordqvist (2017) and In Gee Chun (2016) at 12:05 p.m. 

 

World No. 1 Sung Hyun Park tees off at 12:16 p.m. with No. 3 Lexi Thompson and No. 4 Minjee Lee. 

 

DESIGNATED HOLE FOR AON RISK REWARD CHALLENGE

The season-long Aon Risk Reward Challenge will highlight the world’s best professional golfers as they tackle themost strategically challenging holes across both the LPGA Tour and PGA TOUR schedules. The player from each Tour on top of the Aon leaderboard at the end of the regular season will receive a $1 million prize. The scoring system is identical on both the LPGA Tour and PGA TOUR, and players will take their best two scores from each Aon Risk Reward Challenge hole, with the winners having the best average score to par at the end of the season. Players must play a minimum of 40 rounds throughout the season. The Challenge runs across regular season tournaments (29 LPGA Tour; 36 PGA TOUR).

 

The designated Aon Risk Reward Challenge hole at The Evian Championship is the 14th. This par 3 can be played from 225 to 150 yards, depending on hole location and the tee being used. The biggest challenge comes on the green which slopes against the natural terrain, so a putt that looks as though it breaks one way will actually go in the opposite direction. To avoid a big number here, players will have to rely on their practice rounds to allow for the correct break - and not believe what their eyes tell them. Particular care is required for tee shots into a back right hole location.

 

For more information about the Aon Risk Reward Challenge, visit www.lpga.com/statistics/aon-risk-reward-challenge.

 

RACE TO THE CME GLOBE UPDATE 

Jin Young Ko continues to lead the 2019 Race to the CME Globe with 2,574 points, followed by 2019 LPGA winner Brooke Henderson with 2,122 points and LPGA Mediheal Championship winner Minjee Lee in third with 2,091 points.

 

The 2019 season brings a fresh face to the Race to the CME Globe. LPGA Members will accumulate points at each official LPGA Tour event leading up to the CME Group Tour Championship. The top 60 points earners and ties will then earn a spot in the CME Group Tour Championship, with the entire field competing for the $5 million purse and the $1.5 million winner’s check, the largest single prize in the history of women’s golf. 

 

CHRISTOPHE CHENIN NOMINATED FOR LPGA’S AXA LPGA VOLUNTEER SERVICE AWARD

The tournament is proud to recognize Christophe Chenin as an outstanding volunteer at the The Evian Championship for the 2019 AXA LPGA Volunteer Service Award.

 

For more information on the AXA XL LPGA Volunteer Service Award, visit www.lpga.com/axa-xl.

 

TOURNAMENT SCORING RECORDS*

18 holes: 61, Hyo Joo Kim, First Round, 2014

36 holes: 129, In Gee Chun, 2016

54 holes: 194, In Gee Chun, 2016

72 holes: 263, In Gee Chun, 2016

*Since becoming an LPGA major championship in 2013

 

AON RISK REWARD CHALLENGE HOLE

No. 14, par 3

 

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