Looking back at past Evian champs — Korean duo wins the Dow
The IX: Golf Thursday with Marin Dremock, July 3, 2025
Just like that, it’s July, and major championship number four is on the horizon.
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Welcome back to Golf Thursday, everyone.
With players getting ready to prep for the 2025 Amundi Evian Championship, I thought I’d take you through the last five-ish years of this major. Let’s look back at the winners of the Evian from 2019–2024, save 2020 because of the COVID-19 pandemic.
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2019 — Jin Young Ko
The former Rolex Women’s World Golf Rankings No. 1 captured the fifth of her 15 career wins on the LPGA Tour at the 2019 Amundi Evian Championship. Ko’s five birdies in the final round propelled her to her second major victory and third general victory of the 2019 season. She went on to win once more that year, marking her second-winningest season on the LPGA Tour (so far).
2021 — Minjee Lee
Lee’s first major victory was downright stunning. She staged a final-round comeback in the 2021 Amundi Evian Championship, shooting a 7-under-par 64 to make it to a playoff with Jeongeun Lee. Lee birdied the first playoff hole to take home the trophy. That win, although her first major win, was her sixth LPGA Tour victory.
Coming off her third major championship victory a few weeks ago at the 2025 KPMG Women’s PGA Championship, she’ll definitely be looking to keep the momentum in France.
2022 — Brooke Henderson
What a win it was for Henderson in 2022. She hadn’t won a major championship in six years, and the 2022 Amundi Evian Championship broke that drought. It was Henderson’s second major title.
About a month prior to the win at the Evian, Henderson picked up a win at the ShopRite LPGA Classic presented by Acer. Odds were in her favor and momentum was swinging her way. Henderson overcame an even-par final round to win by one stroke; she rolled in a birdie putt on the 72nd green. What a way to snag it.
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2023 — Celine Boutier
This one was special.
Boutier winning the Evian in her home country was a story that couldn’t have been written better. A player from France has never won the tournament, and Boutier became the first to do it on the tournament’s 10th anniversary. She shot a final-round 68 (-3) to win her first major championship in front of family, friends and a flock of French fans.
The Evian win was also the second win of her four-win 2023 season. Boutier won the LPGA Drive On Championship in March 2023 and then followed her Evian victory right up with one at the Women’s Scottish Open. Boutier closed out her heater of a year with a win at the Maybank Championship in October 2023.
2024 — Ayaka Furue
The defending Amundi Evian champion entertained on the back nine of her 2024 victory. Furue drained 30 and 40-foot putts on Nos. 14 and 15 and then went birdie, par, eagle to round out the last three holes. Furue played some sensational golf to hold off Lauren Coughlin and Stephanie Kyriacou and win her first major championship. Furue, according to Beth Ann Nichols’s coverage of the 2024 Amundi Evian Championship, had just become a Star Wars fan a month before she won. The force was definitely strong with this one.
Come right back here next week for a more holistic preview of the 2025 Amundi Evian Championship, where we take a look at the course, the field, tournament history and more. See you then, golf fans.
This week in women’s golf
LPGA News
LPGA announces the LPGA Collegiate Advancement Pathway (LCAP)
Six players are joining the elite of women’s golf at the Amundi Evian Championship 2025
Chris Madsen named Managing Director of LPGA Asia-Pacific region
LPGA giving diversity a new meaning with a record 17 different winners to start the season
Much history made by Rolex Player of the Year honorees since award’s 1966 creation
Gigi Stoll, AKA Golf God, using music to encourage others to live authentically
UKG named official HR, payroll and workforce management technology partner of the LPGA
Thompson and Khang fall just short in playoff at Dow Championship
Somi Lee and Jin Hee Im win Dow Championship
On this date: Cristie Kerr and Nelly Korda become Rolex Women’s World Golf Rankings No. 1
On this date: Juli Inkster finishes Career Grand Slam at the 1999 McDonald’s LPGA Championship
On this date: Jin Young Ko breaks Ochoa’s record for most career weeks as Rolex Rankings No. 1
LPGA and Dow launch prestigious new award celebrating character and community impact
LET News
Good momentum for Maguire heading into KPMG Women’s Irish Open
June 2025 Player of the Month nominees announced
Hull and Hall excited to play together at KPMG Women’s Irish Open
Swedish stars Nordqvist and Sagström relishing return to Europe
Dimmock excited and ready for next challenge
Watch live: 2025 KPMG Women’s Irish Open
LET heads to Carton House for 2025 KPMG Women’s Irish Open
London calling: PIF London Championship returns to Centurion Club for fifth consecutive year
Alexandra Armas to step down as CEO of the Ladies European Tour after six-year tenure
Record Irish representation to shine at 2025 KPMG Women’s Irish Open at Carton House
Tan holds strong to win 2025 Amundi German Masters
Young girls inspired by LET stars in Germany
Major champions return to Dundonald Links for 2025 ISPS Handa Women’s Scottish Open
Women’s Australian Open returning to Adelaide from 2026
Epson Tour News
Otter Creek Championship presented by Case Construction tools of a winner: Jillian Hollis
Jillian Hollis earns win number four at the 2025 Otter Creek Championship
2024 Epson Tour graduates make moves on day two of the Dow Championship
Epson Tour alumni shine early at Dow Championship
The Peggy Kirk Bell Girls Golf Tour has lasting legacy in junior golf
Five at The IX: Somi Lee and Jin Hee Im outlast Megan Khang and Lexi Thompson in a sudden-death playoff to win the 2025 Dow Championship
It was a down-to-the-wire finish at the 2025 Dow Championship in Michigan. Megan Khang and Lexi Thompson fell short of a win in a sudden-death playoff, as Somi Lee and Jin Hee Im conquered the replay of the par-3 18th hole. Thompson stuck a clutch iron shot to a few feet to set up Khang with a birdie to win the tournament. But Lee matched Thompson, knocking her iron shot to just a few feet outside of the previous, putting Im in perfect position to grab the title before Khang had the chance. Im sunk the putt in confident fashion, and Khang misread the putt on the low side to end the tournament. Lee and Im became the 50th and 51st Korean winners on the LPGA Tour. The below interview transcript was prepared by ASAP Sports.
THE MODERATOR: Very pleased to welcome Somi Lee and Jin Hee Im after their win at the Dow Championship. It took another hole past 18. Jin Hee, you made the putt to win the match. Talk about what was going through your mind on 18 there.
JIN HEE IM: I just think about that Somi’s shot, like that Lexi hit it really near to the pin, but she doesn’t care and just hitting to the pin. I tried to do the same, just go for it.
Q. You are officially LPGA Tour winners. How do you feel knowing that you’re winners now going forward the rest of your careers?
SOMI LEE: First, I can’t believe it. Last year we were rookie season, and LPGA is very tough and different than KLPGA. Now we are winners, so I’m so happy, yeah.
JIN HEE IM: Yeah, I agree with that. We try and work really hard these days. I just—we have more confidence for this event, and I believe we got more trophies without just her and just me.
Q. What did you think of the Dow tournament and just being in Midland, Michigan?
SOMI LEE: I’m playing last year with Haeran, so golf is always play alone, but this tournament is together. Yeah, I think it’s so funny and very exciting. I love it, Dow, and Michigan, I love this weather and then this course. So I like Michigan, yeah.
JIN HEE IM: Yeah, this tournament is really special, so I just like that. And then, I mean, at the four ball I played odd number hole because, I mean, I like this course, but even number hole feels a little narrow; so she covered those holes.
I think that odd number holes is I can do it, so really good course for some holes is just straight and narrow and some holes can be aggressive, like really fun course.
Q. You guys are the 50th and 51st winners from Korea ever on the LPGA Tour. Considering how many great players have come from Korea, how excited and special is it to now have your names in that conversation?
JIN HEE IM: Like last year that some media is pushing us for like too much cheering the win. So that is a little pressure for us. Now we can say yeah!
SOMI LEE: I think so too. Korea, a long time ago, a lot of good players. I’m watching a lot of Korean players in LPGA, so I make a dream, I want to go to LPGA, and I want to play. Yeah, I did it.
Q. Then what will you take away from this week and this win heading into Evian and eventually AIG, our last two majors of the season?
SOMI LEE: I think Evian and next major tournament, I think just same feel and same thing. Should be this win and forget and then again try to win, yeah.
JIN HEE IM: Almost the same, but I get more confidence. I’m trying really hard for my goal, so more believe in me and more trust in me and go for it.
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