The fourth major championship of the season gets underway on Thursday at The Amundi Evian Championship. The 30th edition of the championship will be held once more in Evian-les-Bains, France at Evian Resort Golf Club, which is nestled on the hillsides of the Alps and features sweeping views of Lake Geneva. Here’s a closer look at what you need to know about this week’s major championship.
Boutier Defends
In 2023, France’s own Celine Boutier won her first major title in commanding fashion at Evian Resort, converting her three-stroke lead through 54 holes at The Amundi Evian Championship into a six-stroke victory. “Honestly, it has been my biggest dream since I started watching golf,” Boutier said about winning the major title in her home country. Boutier became the first Frenchwoman ever to win The Amundi Evian Championship, and her victory was one of four wins she earned during the 2023 LPGA Tour season. Boutier has struggled to carry that momentum into this year and returns to Evian Resort with just one top-10 finish so far this season.
The Field
The Amundi Evian Championship is a co-sanctioned event with the Ladies European Tour, which means players from both the LPGA and LET make up the field for the season’s fourth major. Ally Ewing will be someone to watch as she heads to Evian as one of the hottest players on the LPGA Tour in recent weeks. The American hasn't finished outside the top five in her last four starts and will look to ride that momentum into this week’s major championship, where she has missed the cut in two of her last three appearances.
Ewing’s fellow American Lilia Vu will also be a player to watch as she’s enjoyed a stellar return to competition since stepping away to rehab a back injury in April. After returning in June, Vu won the Meijer LPGA Classic for Simply Give and finished runner-up at the KPMG Women’s PGA Championship. Vu is making just her third start at the Evian Resort, and her best finish in this championship came last season as she tied for 42nd.
Charley Hull, who withdrew from last week’s LET event after saying she had taken a fall, will make her return to competition at The Amundi Evian Championship. Six players were extended sponsor invitations, including former Louisiana State University standout Ingrid Lindblad, who will compete in her first major championship since turning professional earlier this summer. Lottie Woad, the winner of the 2024 Augusta National Women’s Amateur, was also given an invite, in addition to 2024 NCAA Individual Champion Adela Cernousek and AJGA winner Yana Wilson.
Korda Returns to Competition
Nelly Korda’s recent challenges on the golf course extended to her life off the course with her announcement on social media that she had been bitten by a dog following her missed cut at the KPMG Women’s PGA Championship. Korda withdrew from the LET’s event in London ahead of the season’s fourth major. Korda will be looking to get her game back on track in France after missing the cut in her last three starts in the U.S. Women’s Open, the Meijer LPGA Classic for Simply Give and the KPMG Women’s PGA Championship.
30th Anniversary
The Amundi Evian Championship is celebrating a milestone this season as this week marks the 30th playing of the championship. The tournament, which began in 1994, was played for five years as an event on the LET’s schedule, and beginning in 2000, the tournament became a co-sanctioned event on both the LET and LPGA circuits. In 2013, the tournament was elevated to major championship status, and this year celebrates its largest purse to date as it increased to $8 million this season. The winner on Sunday will take home $1.2 million in addition to The Amundi Evian Championship trophy.
How to Watch
Enjoy your morning cup of coffee with some early golf coverage of The Amundi Evian Championship. On Thursday and Friday, you can watch live coverage of the major from 6:00 a.m. - 10:30 a.m. ET on Golf Channel and from 6:00 a.m. - 12:00 p.m. ET streaming live on Peacock. On Saturday and Sunday, you can catch live coverage from 4:00 a.m. - 10:00 a.m. ET on both Golf Channel and Peacock.
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