Grace Kim with a stunning finish wins Evian Championship for her first major

EVIAN-LES-BAINS, France (AP) — Grace Kim always dreamed of winning a major on the LPGA Tour. What happened Sunday in a wild final hour at the Evian Championship was beyond her imagination.

“I don't know how it happened, really,” Kim said after an eagle-birdie-eagle finish to win on the second playoff hole against Jeeno Thitikul.

A final round at Evian Resort that nearly saw Lottie Woad become the first amateur to win a major in 58 years ended with Kim standing upright after her 12-foot eagle putt dropped, with her hand over her mouth, motionless as she tried to digest what had transpired.

Two shots behind on the final hole, Kim hit a 4-hybrid so perfectly that it slowed at the top of a slope behind the flag and rolled back to 2 feet for an eagle and a 4-under 67 to force a playoff with Thitikul.

Her approach to the par-5 18th in a playoff bounced off a cart path, over rocks and into the water, while Thitikul was in good position to make birdie. Tournament over? Not quite. Kim pitched over the pond and across the green and into the cup for birdie to stay alive.

“I was pretty bummed to find out that my ball was in the middle of the water. But, again, it’s not quite finished until the very end,” Kim said. “Just wanted to make sure I got it there. Yeah, just happened to have chipped it in. I don't know if I can do it again.”

Back to the 18th for a third time — twice in the playoff — the Australian again hit 4-hybrid to 12 feet. Thitikul, who missed an 8-foot birdie putt in regulation for the win, missed the green to the left and chipped to 5 feet. She never had to putt.

Kim holed the eagle putt to capture her first major, and second LPGA title.

She is a four-time winner of Karrie Webb's scholarship, which entails spending time with Australia's greatest golf champion. She was at Hazeltine in 2021 when Hannah Green won the Women's PGA. She is the second straight Aussie to win a major, following Minjee Lee.

“It's a huge achievement for me,” Kim said. “I’ve had a lot of doubts early this year. I was kind of losing motivation. I kind of had to get some hard conversations done with the team. Yeah, kind of had to wake up a little bit. So to be sitting here next to this trophy is definitely surreal.”

It was a big setback for Thitikul, who along with Ai Miyazato is the only woman to have reached No. 1 in the world ranking without winning a major.

Thitikul's biggest challenge had been Woad, the No. 1 amateur who was coming off a win in the Irish Women's Open and at one point had the lead on the back nine of Evian Resort. She closed with 64 and then waited to see if that would be enough.

Woad was bidding to become the first amateur to win a major since Catherine Lacoste at the 1967 U.S. Women's Open.

Thitikul birdied the 17th to take the lead, and the Thai player was on the verge of her first major when she laid up short of the pond and hit wedge into 8 feet on the final hole.

But then Kim appeared with the sublime 4-hybrid to 2 feet for eagle. Thitikul's birdie putt for the win just missed to the right and she shot 67 to join Kim at 14-under 270.

“I think I’m so proud of myself on battling out there today,” Thitikul said.

Woad tied for third with Lee (68) and now has secured an LPGA card for the rest of this year and all of next year if the senior-to-be at Florida State chooses to turn pro. Woad already is in the Ladies Scottish Open and Women's British Open.

She had mixed emotions at the end, happy about her opportunity to play the LPGA, bummed about not getting birdie on the 455-yard closing hole.

“I’m going to be thinking about one shot probably for a while, but I’m very happy how I played today,” said Woad, who won the Augusta National Women's Amateur in 2024. “Great week.”

Kim's victory extended what already is a record streak in the LPGA Tour's 75-year history, the 18th consecutive tournament to start a season with a different winner. It also makes 13 different winners in the last 13 majors.

AP golf: https://apnews.com/hub/golf

Grace Kim, of Australia, kisses her trophy after winning the Evian Championship women's golf tournament, in Evian, eastern France, Sunday, July 13, 2025. (AP Photo/Laurent Cipriani)

Grace Kim, of Australia, plays on the 18th hole on her way to win the Evian Championship women's golf tournament, in Evian, eastern France, Sunday, July 13, 2025. (AP Photo/Laurent Cipriani)

Grace Kim, of Australia, celebrates after winning the Evian Championship women's golf tournament, in Evian, eastern France, Sunday, July 13, 2025. (AP Photo/Laurent Cipriani)

Grace Kim, of Australia, celebrates with her trophy after winning the Evian Championship women's golf tournament, in Evian, eastern France, Sunday, July 13, 2025. (AP Photo/Laurent Cipriani)

Jeeno Thitikul, of Thailand, plays on the 4th hole during the last round of the Evian Championship women's golf tournament, in Evian, eastern France, Sunday, July 13, 2025. (AP Photo/Laurent Cipriani)

Grace Kim, of Australia, plays on the 4th hole during the last round of the Evian Championship women's golf tournament, in Evian, eastern France, Sunday, July 13, 2025. (AP Photo/Laurent Cipriani)

Second-tier Southampton caused a huge shock by beating Premier League leader Arsenal in the FA Cup quarterfinals on Saturday after Manchester City dispatched Liverpool 4-0 thanks to a hat trick by Erling Haaland.

Fresh off losing the English League Cup final to City before the international break, Arsenal saw another potential trophy slip from its grasp when conceding in the 85th minute to lose 2-1 at Southampton — a team in seventh place in the Championship.

It left City as the big favorite to clinch a cup double this season, with the thrashing of Liverpool securing a place in the FA Cup semifinals for a record eighth straight season.

Mohamed Salah’s failure from the penalty spot added to the woes of Liverpool, whose meltdown at Etihad Stadium will put more heat on under-pressure manager Arne Slot.

Chelsea also advanced, routing third-tier Port Vale 7-0. The semifinal line-up will be completed Sunday when West Ham hosts Leeds, after which the last-four draw will be made.

So much for Arsenal's hopes of a quadruple of major trophies this season.

It's now just the Premier League and Champions League up for grabs with manager Mikel Arteta's decision to field a weakened lineup backfiring at St. Mary's stadium.

Trailing to a 35th-minute strike by Ross Stewart, Arsenal sent on Viktor Gyokeres — fresh off scoring the goal that lifted Sweden into the World Cup on Tuesday — and the striker equalized in the 68th.

Still, Southampton continued to look dangerous on the counterattack and Shea Charles, a former academy product at Man City, fired home from inside the area to secure a famous win.

“To go and beat arguably the best team in Europe at the minute is an incredible feeling,” Stewart said.

In an added blow to Arsenal ahead of its upcoming Champions League quarterfinal against Sporting Lisbon, Brazil center back Gabriel Magalhaes was forced off with a left knee injury midway through the second half. He was seen later with ice on the knee.

Haaland's 18-minute hat trick started with a penalty in the 39th minute after Virgil van Dijk tripped Nico O'Reilly. Then he headed home a cross from Antoine Semenyo in first-half stoppage time, before sweeping in a finish off the crossbar in the 57th.

The Norway striker's first hat trick of the season for City was his 12th for the club since he joined in 2022.

Semenyo scored the other goal in the 50th for City, which sealed a return to Wembley Stadium two weeks after beating Arsenal there in the League Cup final.

“This club has to win trophies,” said Haaland, who was described after the game as a “machine” by City assistant coach Pep Lijnders — the former Liverpool No. 2 who was deputizing in the dugout while Pep Guardiola served a touchline suspension.

Salah, who announced during the international break he’s leaving Liverpool after nine trophy-filled seasons, was beginning his long goodbye to the Reds but couldn’t mark it with a goal. The best of the many chances he spurned came from a penalty, which City goalkeeper James Trafford palmed away in the 64th.

It was a record 18th straight home win for City in the FA Cup, dating to 2017. Guardiola's team shared a record with Clapham Rovers for reaching seven consecutive FA Cup finals but now holds it outright.

Many Liverpool fans were seen leaving the stadium after the fourth City goal.

“The fighting spirit wasn’t there enough, the mentality wasn’t there enough," Liverpool midfielder Dominik Szoboszlai said. "None of us were there to be honest as much as we could.

“It’s a hard time but we have to stick together."

Like City, Chelsea romped to a big win — though this one was expected.

Playing without Argentina midfielder Enzo Fernandez for disciplinary reasons, Chelsea still had more than enough to dispatch Port Vale at Stamford Bridge thanks to goals by Jorrel Hato, Joao Pedro, Tosin Adarabioyo, Andrey Santos, Estevao and Alejandro Garnacho. There was also an own-goal.

Chelsea has won the FA Cup eight times, most recently in 2018.

AP soccer: https://apnews.com/hub/soccer

Southampton's team players celebrate after Shea Charles scored his side's second goal during the English FA Cup quaterfinal soccer match between Southampton and Arsenal in Southampton, England, Saturday, April 4, 2026. (AP Photo/Dave Shopland)

Chelsea's Andrey Santos, second left, celebrates after scoring his side's fifth goal during the English FA Cup quarterfinal soccer match between Chelsea and Port Vale in London, England, Saturday, April 4, 2026. (AP Photo/Ian Walton)

Manchester City's head coach Pep Guardiola watchs from the stand during the FA Cup quarter-final soccer match between Manchester City and Liverpool in Manchester, England, Saturday, April 4, 2026. (AP Photo/Jon Super)

Liverpool's manager Arne Slot reacts during the FA Cup quarter-final soccer match between Manchester City and Liverpool in Manchester, England, Saturday, April 4, 2026. (AP Photo/Jon Super)

Liverpool's Mohamed Salah;, left, and Manchester City's Abdukodir Khusanov fight for the ball during the FA Cup quarter-final soccer match between Manchester City and Liverpool in Manchester, England, Saturday, April 4, 2026. (AP Photo/Jon Super)

Manchester City's Erling Haaland celebrates after scoring during the FA Cup quarter-final soccer match between Manchester City and Liverpool in Manchester, England, Saturday, April 4, 2026. (AP Photo/Jon Super)

Manchester City's Erling Haaland celebrates after scoring his third goal during the FA Cup quarter-final soccer match between Manchester City and Liverpool in Manchester, England, Saturday, April 4, 2026. (AP Photo/Jon Super)