Golf: Rivals bid to dilute Korean dominance of majors at Evian

Lexi Thompson celebrates after winning the Indy Women In Tech Championship on Sept 9, 2017.
PHOTO: AFP

EVIAN-LES-BAINS, France (REUTERS) - World No. 2 Lexi Thompson heads the group trying to halt the Korean majors juggernaut at the Evian Championship starting in Evian-les-Bains, France on Thursday.

South Korean women have captured three of the four majors completed this year, with the other title going to an American of Korean parents.

Ryu So-yeon won the ANA Inspiration, followed by Danielle Kang at the Women's PGA Championship, Park Sung Hyun at the US Women's Open and Kim In Kyung at the British Women's Open.

Kang is the only non-Korean on the list heading into the final major of the year. And Korean players are likely to be at the forefront again at the Evian Resort Golf Club, where Chun In-gee is defending champion.

World No. 1 Ryu goes into the event refreshed after what, for her, was a long break after missing the cut at the Portland Classic in Oregon two weeks ago.

"I was not really playing well in Portland, so I thought I might need to have like a little break, so I just had ... four days off. Then I started working with my coach again," Ryu told reporters.

But American Thompson is likely to be tough to beat. The long-hitting world No. 2 won the LPGA event in Indiana on Saturday and is hungry for major silverware after losing a playoff to Ryu at the ANA five months ago.

The Evian might also be the final major for Ai Miyazato, the diminutive Japanese player who plans to retire at the end of the season.

But Miyazato, a nine-times LPGA winner, sounded like she was having second thoughts as she spoke to the media. She has developed a second wind since announcing her retirement plan.

"Every single tournament is going to be my last event, so I'm starting to feel like I want to enjoy my game more and more, which is making it more simple to play well," she said.

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