May the force be with you: Ayaka Furue gets lift from Star Wars to clinch Evian C’ship
Sign up now: Get the biggest sports news in your inbox
Japan's Ayaka Furue (centre) is showered with champagne as she celebrates after victory following the final round of the Evian Championship on July 14.
PHOTO: AFP
EVIAN-LES-BAINS, France – Japanese golfer Ayaka Furue suffered heartbreak in June when she narrowly missed out on qualifying for the Olympics, but she also found inspiration from that famous phrase from the Star Wars movie, “May the force be with you”.
On July 14, the 24-year-old turned disappointment into delight, when she clinched the Evian Championship with an eagle on the 18th hole for her first Major title, which also landed her US$1.2 million (S$1.6 million) for her second career LPGA victory.
Carding birdies from holes No. 14 to No. 16, Furue then held her nerve in the final hole for the eagle. She erased a three-stroke deficit over the final five holes, with her six-under 65 giving her a 19-under 265 total.
This handed her a one-shot victory over Australia’s third-round leader Stephanie Kyriacou (67).
Furue, who went into the final round trailing Kyriacou by two shots, said: “Before starting the round, I feel like I have to do the aggressive play today, but after I started playing I feel a little bit frustrated about my play. Like I didn’t get any birdie chances.
“But after the 15th hole, I could gain my momentum...
“I became a Star Wars fan like a month ago, and then I love the sentence, ‘May the force be with you’. On the 15th hole, the sentence came up in my mind.”
Heading to the 18th hole, Furue and Kyriacou were level at 17 under with third-placed Patty Tavatanakit having already finished her round.
Furue found the fairway, but Kyriacou’s shot swerved left into the rough. Furue then found the green with her second shot, giving her a title shot. Moments later, she found herself drenched in champagne.
She joins Chako Higuchi (1977 PGA Championship), Hinako Shibuno (2019 British Open) and Yuka Saso (2024 US Open) as the lone golfers from Japan to win a women’s Major.
“Breathtaking, like incredible and I’m so speechless,” said Furue, who had an eagle and six birdies as well as two bogeys.
Kyriacou, who birdied the 18th, also secured her best result at a Major, improving on a tie for seventh at the 2022 British Open. She finished her round with five birdies against one bogey.
While the 23-year-old said it hurts not to hold the trophy, the world No. 100 added: “If you told me I would come second at the start of the week, I would’ve been happy.”
Thailand’s Tavatanakit (63) finished third, two shots behind Furue.
“A lot of positives to take away for sure,” the world No. 28 said.
“I feel like, I don’t know, at the beginning of the week I didn’t even think about winning or anything. I just felt really good about my game. I really trusted my process and I enjoyed ever bit of it, even the not-so-good ones.”
Lauren Coughlin was done in by back-to-back bogeys at the 16th and 17th holes. She shot a 69 in the final round to end up in fourth place at 15 under for the tournament, two strokes ahead of South Korean Ryu Hae-ran (65).
Top-ranked Nelly Korda (68) and world No. 2 Lilia Vu (68) were in a group of players who finished tied-26th on five-under 279, while defending champion Celine Boutier (71) placed joint-39th two shots back, along with others such as Lydia Ko (71). REUTERS, AFP
