Ayaka Furue poses with the trophy after winning the 2024 Amundi Evian Championship. | Photo by Olivier Chassignole/Getty Images
Japan’s Ayaka Furue has come close numerous times in 2024, but now she is a major champion after her incredible victory in France.
The shortest player on the LPGA Tour came up big in the most significant moment of her career.
Japan’s Ayaka Furue stood on the tee at the par-5 18th, holding a share of the lead at 17-under-par. Her playing partner, Stephanie Kyriacou of Australia, was also 17-under while Patty Tavatanakit, who carded an 8-under 63 earlier, sat in the clubhouse, waiting to see how things would unfold.
After finding the first cut of rough off the tee, Furue launched her second shot onto the green, settling about 12 feet away. She then drained the eagle putt to win the Amundi Evian Championship by a stroke, as Kyriacou birdied the 18th to come up just short.
“Breathtaking, incredible, and I’m so speechless,” Furue said after her stellar 6-under 65.
Remarkably, Furue played her last five holes in 5-under-par, making birdies on the 14th, 15th, and 16th before eagling the 18th. She almost had another birdie drop on the 17th as well, but her ball just slid past the hole on the high side.
“Not that good until the 14th hole, but I just kept trusting myself and then just kept going,” Furue said.
After bogeying the par-4 12th, Furue dropped back to 14-under overall. But she put the pedal to the medal down the stretch, coming in the clutch to snatch her first career major and second victory overall on the LPGA Tour. Her previous win came at the 2022 Trust Golf Women’s Scottish Open.
Jack Milko is a golf staff writer for SB Nation’s Playing Through. Be sure to check out @_PlayingThrough for more golf coverage. You can follow him on Twitter @jack_milko as well.
