Tee Sheet: Is Evian the Major That Puts Players on the Map?

At just 18 years old, Lydia Ko wrote herself into golf’s history books. What we were witnessing then was the beginning of greatness right before our very eyes. In record-breaking fashion, with a commanding six shot victory over Lexi Thompson at the 2015 Evian Championship, Ko became the youngest major winner in LPGA history, with an impressive final round 63 (8-under), the lowest final round of a women's major at the time.

Over the past decade we’ve watched her come into her own. She's a three-time Olympic medalist, a 23 time LPGA tour winner—including three major championships. Through the highs and lows of her career—it all began at Evian.

Ahead of this year's championship Ko reflected on her win saying, "Winning The [Amundi] Evian Championship in 2015 was very special for me. It was only my second year on tour, and it was the last chance where I could be the youngest major champion. In every major championship I played, everyone was asking if I was going to break the record, so when you get to the final chance, you think that it is probably not going to happen."

Ko ranks first at this event in almost every category. Her win aside, she has seven top-10 finishes, she’s 58-under par in her rounds at Evian, and no one has more rounds in the 60s or rounds under par, at (23) and (27) respectively.

There's obviously a lot of history there and that tournament specifically hasn't been a major for very long, so to be part of that new tradition and history was really exciting.

— Lydia Ko in her Rolex testimony on the Amundi Evian Championship.

This was the event that kick-started it all for Ko, she was a legend in the making then, but now, she has earned her rightful place as one of the best of her generation, hands down. But who will be next up? Is Evian the tournament that puts players on the map?

In the case of Lottie Woad, the young English golfer and top amateur in the world—she's inching closer and closer to her LPGA status. Last week she won on the Ladies European Tour, this week she’s staring down the opportunity to make her biggest dream come true.

If Woad finishes the week inside the top 25 and ties, she will earn her 20th LEAP point and reach the threshold to be eligible for LPGA membership. As she still retains her amateur status, Woad will need to turn professional in order to join the LPGA.

It's important to note that at any point this year, she can accept her membership status for the remainder of the 2025 season and for the 2026 season. She can also accept Membership to the 2026 season for just that season. Woad would be the first player to earn LPGA status through LEAP since it was launched last fall.

The future of women's golf has arrived—and Ko agrees. "She's very good. She's had a very successful collegiate career and won last week on the LET. I feel like she's one of us at this point. She's got a lot of experience, so she feels like me in the sense of when she does turn pro and come on Tour, she's going to feel—she's a rookie but not really," explains Ko.

"I think that makes a big difference, because when things—when everything is new it's really hard and there is a period of time where you adjust. But for her, I think it's going to be a little bit more smoother transition, whenever that time comes.

Seems like she's an amazing ball-striker and she's done a lot of things that kind of points to her having a very successful professional career as well. I'm excited to see her and I'm sure she's going to have another good week this week."

Will Evian be the storybook beginning for Woad like it was for Ko? Only time will tell. But, I'm certainly ready to see it all unfold.