Inspired Grace Kim Chains Magic Run Together On Way To Winning Amundi Evian Championship In Playoff Against Stunned Jeeno Thitikul

WELCOME

Hello and welcome to Golf Monthly's coverage of what should be a thrilling end to the 2025 Amundi Evian Championship.

There are eight players within three strokes of the lead heading into the final six holes, and Lottie Woad's stunning six-under round so far proves that there are plenty of birdies to be found at Evian Resort Golf Club.

Jeeno Thitikul currently leads the way by just one stroke, but the pack is bunching behind her and one little slip up could prove costly.

Thanks for tuning in as we bring you all of the key updates until a champion is crowned.

YIN IS CLUBHOUSE LEADER

Wow, what a finale from Angel Yin! The American eagles the par-5 last to reach 12-under after carding a final-round 63 (-8). Yin is now just one stroke behind Thitikul, who makes par at the 12th.

Meanwhile, Lottie Woad has a birdie putt to return into a share at the 15th...

WOAD BACK INTO A SHARE

Following a superb approach into the par-5 15th, Woad leaves herself with a six-foot putt to reach 13-under. She nonchalantly rolls in the right-to-left putt and - following a bogey at the 14th - returns to the top alongside Thitikul. The English amateur is seven-under for her round, by the way.

Next, the friendly par-3 16th.

BIRDIE CHANCES EVERYWHERE

At the 16th, Woad, Jutanugarn and Yamashita all find the putting surface and have chances to make gains. Meanwhile, so does Thitikul at the 13th. Woad slightly pulled her tee shot, though, so she will go first from the longest range. Her and Thitikul both have around 15-20 feet.

LEFT IT IN THE JAWS

Woad hits a lovely putt up the slope and it's tracking towards the hole, only to come up a couple of inches short. Tough.

At the 13th, Thitikul pushes a sliding left-to-right effort holewards but it clips the right edge and stays above ground.

LOTTIE PILING PRESSURE ON

That's another approach that Woad doesn't appear to love, but her ball just about stays on the right level of the putting surface and she'll have a chance for birdie again.

WEATHER LOOMING

It looks like the players and caddies are a little concerned about some impending rain that's floating around in the distance. Due to the temperature, you'd have to think those showers might be thundery. No cause for concern just yet, but we'll keep you updated.

WOAD TIED WITH ONE TO PLAY

The English amateur is unsuccessful with her birdie attempt. It was perfect in terms of speed but just off to the left in terms of line. Woad will have a great chance of taking the outright lead at the par-5 18th, but then it'll be a very anxious wait. Mind you, she knows - thanks to finishing inside the top-25 this week - that she has an LPGA Tour card waiting for her as soon as she turns pro...

THITIKUL GETS LUCKY

The World No.2 plays the contours beautifully at the par-3 14th and has a 15-foot birdie putt to reach 14-under.

It has started raining in France, although, the on-site weather staff say the thunder and lightning is still far away from the course. Let's hope it stays that way.

NO CHANGE

Thitikul is two-putting her way down the back nine, by and large. Another birdie chance falls by the way side.

Meanwhile, Andrea Lee - at 11-under - is denied in brutal fashion at the 17th. The ball lipped out and then was slung away down the hill. She has a longer par putt than her four foot birdie attempt, it seems.

HORROR DRIVE

Oh, no. That is not what Lottie Woad needs. The English star pulled her drive at the par-5 18th into the trees and has lost a considerable distance. That forces a lay-up, and with her eagle chance likely gone, the best she can hope for is a birdie to reach the clubhouse at 14-under.

CHANCE FOR WOAD

In front of a pack of waiting photographers, Woad clips her third shot under the hole from 107 yards. Perhaps 10 feet left for birdie to post 14-under and record an unbelievable eight-under on Sunday.

WOAD IS CLUBHOUSE LEADER

Lottie Woad can't roll her birdie putt home, but she gave it a good go. It was an aggressive try. The three-foot par putt is sunk and that'll be 13-under for the woman who has now earned LPGA Tour status. Can anyone pass 13-under? You would have thought so, but nothing is a given in this game...

THITIKUL WASTES ONE

The Thai star rifled her drive into position A1 down the par-5 15th but found the front-left bunker with her 3 wood. From there, an underhit bunker shot left Thitikul with too much to do for birdie. A par is not bad, but it could - and perhaps should - have been a little better.

In the same group, Grace Kim sends a brilliant approach to three feet and she is now only two back.

NOT QUITE ENOUGH

Just before Maguire birdied the last to post 11-under, Andrea Lee rolled in a 15-foot birdie putt of her own to sign for a 66 and finish in the group on 12-under.

KIM ROLLS ON

Will Grace Kim be the one to put Thitikul under severe pressure in this closing stretch? A sublime tee shot at the par-3 16th gives Kim every chance. The Australian has maybe four or five feet at most.

But fair play to Thitikul, she follows Kim by darting her ball into a great position near the hole. It might be eight feet, but that's still a really good chance.

KIM WITHIN ONE

Thitikul pushes her birdie attempt to the right and remains at 13-under as Kim rolls in her birdie putt from closer range. The Australian is one stroke back as they begin the tough par-4 17th hole.

WORLD CLASS

Jeeno Thitikul may have just iced the Evian Championship. At the tough par-4 17th hole, she found the left side of the fairway and fired an absolute dart right beside the hole. Even I should be able to tap that in for birdie. I'll leave that to the Thai star, though, as she puts one hand on the trophy.

Her closest challenger still out on the course, Grace Kim, pulls her own approach and it takes a disgusting bounce down to the lower level on the very opposite side of the green. It'll be an extremely long and uphill putt. She might even consider chipping it.

THITIKUL LEADS

I might have been a bit too excitable in saying I could make the birdie putt, it rolled back to five feet, so perhaps not. Luckily for Thitikul, she was the one stood over it. The Thai pro pushed it home to reach 14-under and she will now have a one-stroke lead going down the par-5 last.

Lottie Woad, who is staying loose on the range, thinks this one is over now. Grace Kim is trying to make sure it isn't a stroll down the last as she brilliantly two-putts from a horrible position.

GOOD START

Thitikul looks a picture of calm as she walks down the 18th fairway having just found the right side of the rough. With no need to go for it, she lays up with a wedge and will likely need to find the hole in three shots from around 100 yards for the title.

That is, unless Grace Kim makes eagle from the centre of the fairway.

LATE DRAMA

Well, hold on now! Grace Kim has a kick-in eagle chance after smashing a fairway wood to a few feet. From 188 yards, she used the backstop brilliantly to give herself this opportunity.

What have you got in response, Jeeno Thitikul?

PUTT TO WIN

Wow, wow, wow. What an ending we're being treated to here. Thitikul saws off the follow through and floats her approach to 10 feet, hole high. This is the chance to win it in regulation. Otherwise, we could well be going to a playoff.

NO GOOD!

Thitikul misses wide right and Kim will have a chance to force a playoff.

PLAYOFF

Kim knocks it in and we're going to a playoff thanks to a 72nd-hole eagle! Kim and Thitikul will wait for the final group to finish up, and then it's back down 18 at least one more time.

MINJEE LEE EAGLE

It has not been the Australian's day, but Lee holes an eagle putt at the last to share third place with Lottie Woad on 13-under. Given Woad's amateur status, though, Lee will take all of the third-place prize money.

PLAYOFF TO COME

Thitikul and Kim are on carts making their way to the 18th tee. This is the first time the Evian Championship has been decided by a playoff since 2021.

Thitikul - who is 2-1 in LPGA playoffs - will tee off first.

ADVANTAGE THITIKUL (JUST)

Two fantastic tee shots kick us off, but Thitikul just holds the advantage given hers is slightly further down the fairway and in the very centre. Kim's ball looks to have just bounced into the first cut on the right, so it will be slightly tougher to control.

DISASTER

Grace Kim did unbelievably well to reach the playoff, but I think her chance might be gone at the first playoff hole. It wasn't quite a shank, but the Australian pushed her hybrid shot horribly right into the penalty area near the crowd and a flowerbed. There's a red stake down there, so this isn't looking good for Kim. She could be playing four.

NOT OVER

Thitikul sends a long iron towards the green, but it hops up into the rough on the shoulder between green and bunker. That will be extremely awkward given it is down hill as well.

INCREDIBLE

Grace Kim has chipped in for birdie! That was a 10000-1 shot, but Kim keeps her chances alive via a world-class shot from the rough down the bottom end of the green.

PUTT TO CONTINUE

Thitikul must be stunned. She has a 10-foot putt to extend the playoff after hacking her chip shot out of the rough. It's almost the same putt she missed earlier.

DRAINS IT

I'm at a loss for words here. This is the highest quality in terms of play and drama. Thitikul dribbles in the putt for birdie and - somehow - we will go back down 18 one more time before going back to 16, 17 and then 18 again if necessary.

CARBON COPY

Thitikul pipes another perfect drive down the 18th, and she is in almost exactly the same position as the first playoff hole.

Thankfully for Kim, it's not a repeat for her. The Australian is 10 yards behind Thitikul but right down Broadway. Now it's about approach play. Both players have been sublime in that regard today.

KIM IN POLE POSITION

With a 4-hybrid in hand, Kim finds the heart of the green from 188 yards and will have an eagle putt from 15-20 feet to win it. Follow that, she says to her friend.

Thitikul takes out 6-iron from 177 but slightly tugs it into the same patch of rough she just chipped from. What did Jeeno learn from last time? Will it even matter? We're about to find out as they approach the green.

ANTS AT PLAY

This is new. Thitikul has asked for a ruling because there are hundreds of ants crawling all over her ball, shoes and club. She might get relief here. If so, that'd be a huge break because the lie isn't great.

The ruling is that she will have to play it as it lies given the ants aren't dangerous. Thitikul dribbles her chip to maybe six-eight feet. Kim has a putt for the win.

GRACE KIM WINS EVIAN CHAMPIONSHIP

What a putt from Kim! She rolls her eagle putt home to win and is mobbed by her Australian peers. What a run at the end! Birdie, eagle, chip-in birdie in the first playoff hole, eagle at the second. It was always her title. Written in the stars. Congratulations to Grace Kim.