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Ayaka Furue Rallies for a Victory in the Evian Championship

Rising LPGA Tour standout Ayaka Furue overcame a three-stroke deficit with five holes remaining to capture her first title in an overseas golf major.

Published

1 month ago

July 15, 2024

Ed Odeven

Ayaka Furue celebrates after winning the Amundi Evian Championship on July 14 in Evian-les-Bains, France. (KYODO)

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Ayaka Furue sank an eagle on the final hole in the final round of the Amundi Evian Championship. In that pressure-packed moment, it was a shot that determined the final outcome.

The 24-year-old golfer's clutch putt came at the opportune time, clinching victory on the par-5 18th hole at Evian Resort Golf Club on Sunday, July 14 in Evian-les-Bains, France.

Furue carded a 6-under 65 in the final round, edging overnight leader Stephanie Kyriacou of Australia by a stroke. Kyriacou shot a 67 in the last round.

Thailand's Patty Tavatanakit had a dazzling 8-under 63 on Sunday and finished a stroke adrift of Kyriacou at 17-under 267.

Furue made birdies on the 14th, 15th and 16th holes to solidify her title chances. But an even-par 4 effort on the penultimate hole put her in a three-way tie with Kyriacou and Tavatanakit. The Thai golfer had already wrapped up her round before the Japanese and the Australian played it.

Kyriacou had a birdie on her last hole. Furue got it done in three strokes.

"I didn't believe that I can get the major win so I'm so happy right now," said Furue, who is ranked 21st in the world.

She added, "I feel so honored to be the winner of a major championship, but I feel like I put in the effort to win every tournament."

Strong Start in the Tournament for Ayaka Furue

For Furue, Sunday's successful completion of the tournament came after she shot back-to-back 65s in the first two rounds, followed by a 70 in the third round.

The Kobe native has had nine top-10 finishes during the 2024 LPGA Tour season, including strong performances at the US Women's Open (tied for sixth place) and Women's PGA Championship (tied for eighth).

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Author: Ed Odeven

Find Ed on JAPAN Forward's dedicated website, SportsLook. Follow his [Japan Sports Notebook] on Sundays, [Odds and Evens] during the week, and X (formerly Twitter) ＠ed_odeven.