Welcome to this week’s Golf Insider, everyone!
In a dramatic finish to the fourth major championship of the year, Haeran Ryu walked out a two-time major winner. She won 2026 The Amundi Evian Championship at Evian Resort Golf Club in a playoff against Brooke Henderson.
It wasn’t Ryu’s final round that showcased her game this week. It was her third-round 60 (-11) that catapulted her up the leaderboard and wrote history. Ryu’s stellar round was the lowest round recorded in an LPGA major championship since this statistic was being tracked. It’s also only the ninth 60 ever carded on the LPGA Tour.
It was a good thing that Ryu carded that moving day round because during the final round, that game seemed to go out the window. While Ryu was pouring in everything on the greens on Saturday, Sunday required divine intervention for even par putts to go in the hole.
“Yeah, because today shots pretty good but my putting is too bad today. And then I just thinking like oh, God, please go in the hole, please,” Ryu said in a post-win press conference on July 12.
Ryu went out on the front nine with a 1-over-par 36. She bogeyed the par-3 8th hole at a time where she could not afford to give up strokes. Brooke Henderson was on the charge; in her final three holes of her front nine, she posted two eagles, including a hole-in-one. Henderson then carded another eagle on the par-5 18th hole to force a playoff with Ryu.
Ryu’s only birdie of the day came on that 18th hole to sneak her way into the playoff.
After fighting all day just to stay in her leading position and eventually shooting an even-par 71, Ryu could just breathe a sigh of relief. Now that regulation is finished, she could start over and focus on the playoff. All that mattered at that moment was what was in front of her.
Despite the amazing Saturday round, this was the position Ryu put herself in. But she understood that.
“Yesterday my score is 11-under par. It’s so amazing score. But today just even, one bogey and one birdie and that’s it,” Ryu said after her win.
“This is golf. It’s too different.”
And in that first playoff hole, the reset was instantaneous. Ryu piped her drive down the middle of the fairway, while Henderson missed the fairway left. I mentioned the several changes to this closing par-5 last week, and this playoff was evidence of those changes impacting players’ decisions. Henderson was forced to lay up, while Ryu could go for the green in two.
Ryu nailed her second shot, so she had an eagle putt coming up. But even after Henderson hit her lay-up shot to the fairway, she missed the green and was looking at a chip for birdie. When the best Henderson could make was par after pitching on, all Ryu had to do was two-putt for her own birdie and the title.
You can guess what happened next.
With this win, Ryu makes more LPGA Tour history because this season is the first time ever that the LPGA Tour has had two players win double major titles. Ryu and Nelly Korda both have two major wins this year.
But let me take a minute to shout out Brooke Henderson’s play during this tournament. Seeking her first major since 2022 at the Evian, she had a lot of weight on her shoulders going into last week. But in the final round, she shot a 64 to erase a seven-stroke deficit and force a playoff. That’s no easy task against a 2026 major champion.
Henderson has so much to be proud of. She’s been playing stellar golf lately and always seems to be in contention on Sunday. Henderson’s three eagles in the final round — and six overall — were more displays of that ability. And heading to Lytham St Annes for the AIG Women’s Open, she feels like she’s prepared.
“Yeah, I feel like [my game is] in a really good spot, which is really exciting and something to look forward to,” Henderson said during a post-tournament press conference on July 12.
“Coming into AIG I haven’t played that well there in the past, so hopefully this year will be a different story.”
Ultimately, in the conclusion of this year’s Evian Championship, the power of a third-round 60 was too much for the golf gods to deny.
Next week, we head to the links for the 2026 ISPS HANDA Women’s Scottish Open. I’ll be back then to get you ready for it.
Until next time, golf fans.
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This week in women’s golf
LPGA News
Brooke Henderson makes an ace, two eagles to threaten Ryu in final round
Haeran Ryu cards lowest round in major history on day three
Haeran Ryu sets an LPGA major record with a 60 to build a three-shot lead
LET News
Bosio wins LET Player of the Month for June 2026
Wistron Ladies Open increases prize fund for 2026
Top player Casandra Alexander looks for another solid result in Europe
French rookie Nastasia Nadaud shines on home soil through two rounds at Evian
Gainer enjoying being back at Evian after injury struggles
Arwefjäll happy after making major championship debut at Evian
Epson Tour News
Haylee Harford Sanchez hoists first professional victory on Epson Tour at Four Winds Invitational
Amateur Golf News
Kim Moore wins overall championship at 2026 U.S. Adaptive Open for third title in five years
Amelia Harris just had a back nine for the record book at the U.S. Girls’ Junior
Everything to know about the 2026 U.S. Girls’ Junior at Old Chatham Golf Club
Inside the field: 77th U.S. Girls’ Junior Championship
Five at The IX: Quotes from after the final round of 2026 Amundi Evian Championship on July 12, 2026
2026 Amundi Evian Championship winner Haeran Ryu on what being a two-time major champ feels like
“Feels like unreal right now. (Smiling.) Yeah, because today shots pretty good but my putting is too bad today. And then I just thinking like oh, God, please go in the hole, please. Every hole I just feels like pray.
“But last hole and the birdie hole there, just for thanks God I can say that part. And then, yeah, feels like just unreal dream right now. (Smiling.)”
Ryu on the fond memories of Evian because of her win as a junior in 2015
“Yeah, I have such a good memory when I was a young 14 years old. I got a win with my friends and Team Korea and then just the title. So yeah, always I hope to get major win at the Evian Championship because I have a good memory and this course is so beautiful.
“But always missed cut…but still just work hard and just keep dreaming and that works. I’m so happy right now.”
Runner-up Brooke Henderson on her charge in the final round
“Yeah, played awesome today, which is really exciting. To finish second in a major and third couple weeks ago, definitely game is in a really good spot.
“Obviously very exciting to get into the playoff. Wish I had played a little bit better, but Haeran has been playing great. Congrats to her.
“I am happy how I played. Lots of birdies and eagles, which is really fun.”
Aki Iwai (3) on how this performance helps for the next major, the AIG Women’s Open
“Yes. Definitely I got confidence, so, yeah some win, some lose, right? But, yes, good experience for AIG, good lesson.”
Lydia Ko (T-7) on having her husband caddie for her this week
“He was A+ for I think me personally. Would it be an A+ for other players? I’m not really sure. But obviously he can say some things that only a husband can say and maybe not Paul for me on a week to week.
“But he was great. I think when I started off the championship with a bogey on the first and he was like, hey, it’s okay. You can do this.
“Just having him on the bag, like he felt like he was carrying his clubs and like playing on the weekend, and honestly felt like for me, too, like any other day we play together on the weekend.
“We had a lot of fun. I think having him on the bag has made me realize like how tough of a job a caddie really is. It made me become more appreciative of Paul…who we work together, and all of the other caddies. I’m not sure how they kind of go through those physical and mental I guess strenuous situations I guess week in, week out.
“Having him has made me more appreciative of their job I guess, yeah.”
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