Japan’s Ayaka Furue wins first major with dramatic eagle putt on final hole of Evian Championship

CNN —

What a way to win a first major championship.

Japan’s Ayaka Furue sank a dramatic, clutch putt for eagle on the final hole of the 2024 Amundi Evian Championship in France on Sunday to win by one stroke.

Coming into the final hole, there was a three-way tie with Furue, Australian Stephanie Kyriacou and Thailand’s Patty Tavatanakit at -17.

The Japanese star’s second shot landed on the green, but she needed calm nerves to finish the task. Furue calmly rolled in the eagle to cap a six-under final round to go 19-under for the tournament – one shot better than Kyriacou who birdied the final hole.

The diminutive 24-year-old triumphantly raised her right arm in celebration after her ball found the bottom of the cup and was promptly doused with victorious champagne by her fellow Japanese competitors.

“I just kept trusting myself,” the world No. 21 said post-round while holding the championship trophy. “It is breathtaking.”

She certainly earned the honor, going five-under with three birdies and that tournament-winning eagle on the final five holes to capture the title.

Furue putting on the 16th during the final round of the Evian Championship. She would birdie the hole and go on to win the title with a dramatic 18th hole eagle to win by a single stroke.

Furue is the fourth different golfer from Japan to win a women’s major championship, joining Chako Huguchi (1977), Hinako Shibuno (2019) and Yuka Saso, who won the 2024 US Women’s Open last month.

Afterwards, Furue said it was an “incredible” honor to be a part of the Japanese major-winning group.

The victory represents her second career victory on the LPGA Tour: Furue previously won the 2022 Women’s Scottish Open.