YOUNG Sydneysider Grace Kim didn’t really feel 100 per cent as she teed off within the last spherical of the Evian Masters in France final month.
“I really stored apologising for my continuous coughing as I had that tickle in my throat,” mentioned Kim after one of the crucial sensational finishes in main championship historical past to win the occasion in a sudden-death playoff together with her good good friend Jeeno Thitikul.
Kim fired rounds of 65-68-70-67 and received on the second gap of a sudden-death playoff to take house the $US1.2m first place prizemoney.
Kim mentioned she felt ‘about 80 per cent proper’ as she headed into that last spherical.
“However I used to be ready to offer 100 per cent of that 80 per cent,” she mentioned.
Kim made two eagles in that last spherical, then chipped in for a birdie after discovering the water on the primary further gap, capping a outstanding victory by making one other eagle on the second gap of sudden demise to safe her win.
“I’ve to confess I’ve received extra occasions in my thoughts than I’ve in actual life,” grinned Kim as she celebrated changing into simply the fifth Australian girl to win a significant championship, becoming a member of Jan Stephenson, Karrie Webb, Hannah Inexperienced and Minjee Lee as main champions.
And it’s most likely honest to say that Kim by no means actually appeared the winner till her unbelievable eagle on the 18th in regulation play after her enjoying companion Thitikul laid up on the par-five, considering a par can be sufficient to safe her the title.
She was improper: Thitikul narrowly missed an eight-foot birdie attempt on the 72nd gap whereas Kim had a digital tap-in for eagle to take the occasion into further holes.
Taking part in behind her within the last group, latest main champion Minjee Lee additionally eagled the ultimate gap to overlook the playoff by only one shot.
Kim and Thitikul made small discuss all through their last spherical . . . at one stage they had been even discussing their drink bottles, however the dialog died when each girls all of the sudden realised they is perhaps going to further holes.
At one stage in the course of the spherical, the ever-smiling Thitikul instructed Kim: “smile, you simply made a par”.
There’s by no means been a insecurity with Kim, who received her first begin on the LPGA Tour in 2024 however has narrowly missed a number of occasions since.
“I wasn’t that nervous within the playoff. It was just like once I received in Hawaii,” she mentioned.
“I do belief my caddy so much. Simply to have a caddy you may belief; that actually settled my thoughts.
“He knew my recreation and that makes such a distinction.”
Kim turned good buddies with the legend Karrie Webb after being considered one of Webb’s scholarship winners earlier than she turned professional.
“Karrie took me on a visit on my own and I used to be lucky sufficient to play Pine Valley and on the time I didn’t fairly know what a giant deal it was,” she mentioned.
“We additionally performed Winged Foot and it was an entire week together with her and that was simply unbelievable. We even shared a lodge room. It was an expertise that cash can’t purchase.”
Kim mentioned she felt dangerous that she stored coughing – and the tickle in her throat was a nuisance.
“I simply needed to push by the ache.”
That was shortly forgotten when fellow Aussies Lee, Inexperienced and Steph Kyriacou had been there to bathe her in champagne after she secured the title.
“I’ve often been the one doing the spraying so it was good to be on the opposite finish of it for a change,” she laughed.
