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Evian Championship: In Gee Chun Sets Major Scoring Record

By Mike Randleman

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In Gee Chun delivered a record-setting performance at the Evian Championship to claim her second major title.

For most of Sunday, victory at the Evian Championship appeared to be all but assured for 22-year-old In Gee Chun. What was on the line until she putted out on the 18th was a chance at history.

Beginning the day at 19-under-par, the South Korean had the chance to break several significant records. An even-par round of 71 would have tied the women’s record for a 72-hole score in relation to par at a major. A 70 would have broken the women’s record and tied the men’s mark set by Henrik Stenson just two months ago at The Open Championship. Any round in the 60s would have given her the outright major scoring record.

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Leading by four for much of the day, Chun played smart, steady golf to cruise to a two-under-par 69 that featured just one bogey. Whether or not Chun knew what was at stake, the effervescent golfer cooly sunk a 10-footer on No. 18 to conclude yet another spectacular performance from a golfer under the age of 25.

In her previous six rounds at Evian Resort Golf Club, Chun had broken 70 just once, but it certainly looked like she learned to love the Alps-surrounded track this week.

Chun led or co-led after all four rounds. She carded an eight-under-par 63 on Thursday, hitting every green and asserting her dominance from the outset.

The world No. 7 is projected to leap all the way to third. While this was her first win of the season, Chun seemed destined to break out sooner or later — she was riding a wave of three consecutive top 10 finishes heading into the week.

Scoring was very favorable throughout the week. On Sunday, every player in the top 10 managed to break par, and all but one (Brooke Henderson) was in the 60s.

It was a banner week for South Korean golf. Sixteen of Chun’s countrywomen made the cut, including So Yeon Ryu and Sung Hyun Park, who shared runner-up honors at 17-under-par. That mark would have been good enough to win the Evian in each of the previous three years. In addition, Sei Young Kim (14-under) and In-Kyung Kim (12-under) finished fifth and sixth, respectively.

Lydia Ko, the world No. 1 and defending champion, faded on the weekend. Ko was at four-under-par through 36 holes and looked primed to make a weekend charge, but closing rounds of 75 and 73 dropped her from a tie for 13th to a tie for 43rd. The weekend wasn’t without another trophy presentation for the 19-year-old, however. Ko was presented with the 2016 Rolex ANNIKA Major Award for her overall performance in the five majors.

The most recent major champion, world No. 2 Ariya Jutanugarn, closed with a Sunday 67 to crack the top 10 in a tie for ninth. It was a nice recovery after opening the week with a 73.

Joining her in that tie was No. 3 Brooke Henderson. The Canadian shot par or better on all four days but just couldn’t heat up with the putter (29.5 putts per round), keeping her out of title contention.

Chun becomes the fifth different major winner in 2016, joining Lydia Ko (ANA Inspiration), Brooke Henderson (PGA Championship), Brittany Lang (U.S. Open) and Ariya Jutanugarn (British Open). It’s her second career major in addition to her 2015 U.S. Open win.

The LPGA Tour‘s next major will come at the ANA Inspiration next March. The current LPGA season will now take a week off before moving on to the Eastern Hemisphere for the Reignwood LPGA Classic in Nankou, Beijing, China on Sept. 29 – Oct. 2.

Evian Championship Top 10 Leaderboard

In Gee Chun (63-66-65-69) — 21-under-par

T2. So Yeon Ryu (66-66-69-66), Sung Hyun Park (63-68-67-69) — 19-under

4. Shanshan Feng (64-67-69-69) — 17-under

5. Sei Young Kim (69-71-65-65) — 14-under

6. In-Kyung Kim (70-69-64-69) — 12-under

7. Angela Stanford (65-68-71-70) — 10-under

8. Haru Nomura (68-69-69-69) — nine-under

T9. Ariya Jutanugarn (73-67-70-67), Brooke Henderson (69-71-67-70), Gerina Piller (68-72-67-70) — seven-under

Next: Italian Open: Francesco Molinari Holds on for Home Win

What did you think of the Evian Championship? Where does In Gee Chun’s performance stack up among the all-time greats? Let us know on Twitter or Facebook, and stay with us at Pro Golf Now for more updates from the LPGA Tour.

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