Brooke Henderson overcame an early-round four-putt to drain the one that mattered most – a 9-footer on the 72nd hole to win the Amundi Evian Championship, her second major championship title and first in six years.
Henderson, 24, stayed patient throughout a difficult day, reminding herself of the saying that majors are won on the back nine. Even the closing birdie proved somewhat stressful after a pulled tee shot forced her to lay up on the closing par 5, which plays as the easiest hole on the course.
The winningest Canadian player in history, Henderson is a two-time winner this year and now boasts 12 career LPGA titles. She started the week with record-setting back-to-back 64s and held on to finish at 17-under with a final round of even-par 71, good for a $1 million payday.
The hectic Sunday saw six players tied for the lead on the back nine. Rookie Sophia Schubert, playing in only her second major as a professional, pulled away with a one-shot lead deep into the round but was caught by Henderson, who birdied three of the last five.
The Cinderella — 26-year-old Schubert — started the week with a double-bogey on the first hole Thursday. Her second-round 65 was her lowest round on the LPGA and her third-round 66 was the second lowest of her career. She came into the week ranked 283rd in the world with $82,796 in earnings.
The 2017 U.S. Women’s Amateur champion cruised around Evian like it was a Tuesday practice round. Schubert said she avoided leaderboards until the 18th, where she narrowly missed a 9-foot birdie putt that would’ve forced a playoff.