Grace Kim played two shots of a lifetime to come from the clouds and clinch the Evian Championship in a playoff

Australia has a new major champion after Grace Kim played the two greatest shots of her lifetime to reach a playoff before winning in unforgettable fashion.

Australia has a new major champion after Grace Kim played two of the greatest shots of her lifetime to first reach a playoff, then keep it alive before finally taking out the Evian Championship in unforgettable fashion to join an elite club.

The 24-year-old from Sydney made a stunning 18th hole eagle to force a playoff against world No.2 Jeeno Thitikul, then put her approach in the water on the first playoff hole.

But Kim made a miracle chip in for birdie to force a second playoff hole, and then made eagle again the second time around to stun herself and everyone at Evian-les-Bains to secure the $1.8m winner’s cheque and a place in the history books.

It all came after Kim was three shots off the lead with only four holes left, having opened the final round with two bogeys in her opening four holes.

But she made birdies on her 15th and 16th holes, then the miracle eagle on the final hole of regulation to get to 14-under and into a sudden-death showdown with Thai star Thitikul.

Then in dramatic scenes, Kim looked to have blown her chances with an errant second shot going down the 18th hole again, using the same four-hybrid club that had been good to her just minutes earlier.

Kim’s approach sailed right into a pond, demanding she hole out a miracle chip to make a birdie and force Thitikul to step up.

With her shoulders slumping, Kim floated her chip onto the green and watched as it rolled towards the cup and went in, causing delirium around the huge crowd.

Thitikul was left with the same putt she missed in regulation to keep the tournament alive and made up for her miss minutes earlier by making it, sending the playoff to a second hole.

With $1.8m on the line, and given another chance, Kim nailed her second shot, giving herself another chance at eagle, while Thitikul missed the green to the left.

With adrenaline pumping, Kim wouldn’t be denied, making the eagle putt to cue celebrations as she cemented a win for the ages for a player who had only recorded two top-20 finishes in her 13 major appearances.

“The three holes, I hit the same club, the four-hybrid, so I guess that is staying around for a while,” Kim said.

“It worked out great.

Minjee Lee starts the celebrations for fellow Australian Grace Kim. Picture: Stuart Franklin/Getty Images

“I doubled 12 and I thought I was out of it but I said to myself I had nothing else to lose.

“That chip in, that just happened.

“I couldn’t breathe, I couldn’t see, I asked if it was dead straight and then just hit the putt. Glad that went in the hole.”

Kim had stood on the 18th tee in regulation two shots behind Thitikul, who made a 17th hole birdie before the Australian unleashed the shot of her life from the fairway to land the ball behind the flag and watched as it rolled off a bank to within 30cm for what would be a kick-in eagle putt.

Thitikul, who missed the fairway, then laid up, put her third shot to 1.5m, leaving her a birdie putt to win.

She missed, sending the year’s fourth major to a playoff and Kim, who finished with a four-under final round of 67, took two holes to join the pantheon of Australian major winners.

Grace Kim has delivered one of the most remarkable finishes in golf history to win @EvianChamp. Plays 18 in 5 under - eagle (regulation), birdie (chip in) & eagle (both in playoff) - to claim her first major title. Astonishing performance by amazing Grace!pic.twitter.com/j7HDgFHFSU

— Luke Elvy (@Luke_Elvy) July 13, 2025

Fellow Australian Minjee Lee, who had the chance to launch into rare air with a fourth major championship having started the day one shot off the lead, failed to get any real momentum,

She was within one or two shots of the lead throughout the final round before a bogey on the par five 15th snuffed out her chances.

Fresh off her third major win two weeks ago at the PGA Championship, Lee rallied late, and a final-hole eagle elevated her in to a tie for third after a closing three-under 68, just one shot behind the number needed to get into the playoff.

Minjee Lee never got going in the final round. Picture: Stuart Franklin/Getty Images

Gabi Ruffels, who started the day tied for the lead and in the final group with Lee, misfired early with an opening-hole bogey, and an inability to hit the fairways resulted in the 25-year-old fading from contention.

Having never won an LPGA event, or finished top 10 in more than a dozen major appearances, Ruffels closed with a one-over 72 to finish tied for ninth.

Originally published as Grace Kim played two shots of a lifetime to come from the clouds and clinch the Evian Championship in a playoff