There’s a plaque on a tree where 2025 Amundi Evian Championship winner Grace Kim holed out for birdie on the par-5 18th to extend a playoff.
Kim saw the plaque for the first time on Tuesday in Evian-les-Bains, France, where a field of 132 has gathered for the LPGA’s fourth major of the season.
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“Hearing [about] those people that come to play Evian and trying it out themselves, yeah, kind of makes me feel nice about it,” said Kim.
“It is a very cool thing for Evian Resort to put up for it, so I’m really grateful for it. It makes me feel like, you know, [it’s] a bit of a legendary moment.”
A plaque marks the point on the 18th hole where Defending champion Grace Kim of Australia played a shot on the 18th hole the prevoius year, during practice prior to The Amundi Evian Championship 2026 at Evian Resort Golf Club on July 07, 2026 in Evian-les-Bains, France.
Last year, Kim played the final four holes of regulation in 4 under to get into the playoff against Jeeno Thitikul, making eagle from tap-in range on the 72nd hole. On the first playoff hole, Kim’s second shot into the closing par 5 bounced off a cart path and over rocks into a greenside pond.
But she didn’t panic. The Aussie pitched in for birdie – over the pond and across the green – to extend the playoff.
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Then on the second playoff hole, she hit the green in two once again with a 4-hybrid and sank a 12-footer for eagle to seal the title.
“I was asked to do it yesterday,” said Kim of recreating the hole-out. “I ended up not doing it, which I think that saved a lot of their time and mine as well. Maybe I’ll just leave it at that.”
Winning a major at age 24 has changed quite a few things for Kim, most notably her confidence.
“But, you know, golf can really humble you quite quickly,” she added, “so in the times where it does get tough, I think I do handle myself a lot better.”
Winning a major changed her bank account, too, of course, ($1.2 million) but it also changed the way she creates her schedule, allowing for more flexibility. Kim said she can now build her season in “development blocks” to try to peak at the right time.
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Winning even changed her golf ball. Last year at the Evian, Hannah Green’s husband, Jarryd Felton, asked Kim why she didn’t have a smiley face on her Srixon, like Green.
“I said, ‘I’m not a major winner yet,’ ” recalled Kim. “Funny enough, I won that week, and straight after that I put a kangaroo on it, that so Skippy is on my golf ball now.”
Kim also noted that Skippy, the blow-up kangaroo who was part of last year’s celebrations, made a return trip to Evian.
Australia’s Grace Kim celebrates after victory on the first playoff hole after the final round of the Amundi Evian Championship at Evian Resort Golf Club, in Evian-Les-Bains, eastern France on July 13, 2025.
Unfortunately, the local pub where she celebrated her victory was destroyed in a fire several months ago.
“We went down and they were all there,” said Kim of the Aussie celebrations last year. “I was having a shower, washing off the champagne, and basically by the time I got there, they were all pretty drunk. It was all good fun.
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“I was able to get the trophy replica as well as the champagne bottle. I wanted to keep the big bottle. I don’t do well with alcohol, so I let the others deal with that. We all filled up the trophy, and everyone had a sip and it was such a great time.”
Beth Ann Nichols is a senior writer for Golfweek covering the LPGA.
This article originally appeared on Golfweek: Evian Championship hangs plaque to commemorate Grace Kim’s legendary shot in 2025
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