Evian Championship 2014: Tee Times, Dates, TV Schedule and Prize Money
The fifth and final major of the LPGA season begins Thursday at the Evian Championship in France. An exotic location combined with a world-class field will make for an exciting week in women's golf.
And if the previous four major tournaments are any indication of what's to come, there won't be a shortage of stars in the thick of contention down the stretch.
Lexi Thompson and Michelle Wie broke through at the Kraft Nabisco Championship and the U.S. Open, respectively, for their first major victories. Against all odds, unheralded American Mo Martin emerged with the British Open trophy, beating out the likes of Inbee Park down the stretch with a glorious eagle on the 72nd hole.
.jpg?w=256 "Colts Jaguars Football")
Martin won't be able to compete, due to a thumb injury, per Golfweek's Beth Ann Nichols. Nichols also reported what Wie had to say coming off a fractured finger that had kept her out since the Meijer LPGA Classic:
"I’m definitely one club less, not hitting it as far as I want to,. But at the same time, I’m just really excited that I can hit balls, that I can come out here and play. [...] I kind of learned my lesson a couple years ago...so I just decided to listen to the doctor this time and take things pretty slowly. I’m extremely excited to be here and can’t wait to tee it up.
"
With regard to the most recent major champion, Park would have her revenge for finishing second at the British Open, defeating Brittany Lincicome in an LPGA Championship playoff.
It marked Park's fifth career major title at just age 26 and the second time in as many years that Park had prevailed in extra holes at the year's fourth major.
With that as the backdrop—and that's not even to mention two of the world's three top-ranked players—let's take a look ahead at what may be on the horizon at Evian Resort Golf Club.
Note: Statistics and information are courtesy of LPGA.com unless otherwise indicated.
When: Thursday, September 11 through Sunday, September 14
Where: Evian Resort Golf Club in Evian-les-Bains, France
Tee Times: For a complete list of times for the first two rounds, visit LPGA.com.
Purse: $3,250,000; Winner's Share: $487,500
| Thursday, September 11 | 7:30 a.m. - 12:30 p.m. | Golf Channel |
| Friday, September 12 | 7:30 a.m. - 12:30 p.m. | Golf Channel |
| Saturday, September 13 | 6:30-11:30 a.m. | Golf Channel |
| Sunday, September 14 | 8 a.m. - 12 p.m.; 12-1:30 p.m. | Golf Channel; NBC |
2014 Evian Championship Preview
Suzann Pettersen won the tournament last year and wouldn't be a bad bet to pull it off again. Pettersen leads the LPGA in hitting 78.3 percent of greens in regulation this season. However, no one has repeated as champion since this event became co-sanctioned by the LPGA Tour in 2000.
Park is No. 2 in the Rolex Rankings, but ahead of her is Stacy Lewis. Lewis hasn't won a major this year, but she leads the race to the CME Globe and is first in scoring average. Lewis is due to make some noise at the Evian Championship.
KPMG recorded what Lewis said a year ago about the event, and it is still applicable in 2014:
As long as Wie hits the ball, it will be interesting to see just how well she can keep up on this course under the pressure of a major.
If she somehow emerges with a victory, Wie will confirm she is a superstar and pull off one of the most compelling triumphs in LPGA major history.
Momentum has been hard to come by for Thompson as she deals with the reality of being a major winner.
Check out her results since the U.S. Women's Open, where Thompson finished inside the top 10 but lost a chance at victory in fading with a lackluster third round:
| U.S. Women's Open | 71-68-74-71 | T7 |
| Walmart NW Arkansas Championship | 71-73 | CUT |
| Ricoh Women's British Open | 72-77-78-75 | T54 |
| Marathon Classic | 71-72-66-67 | T15 |
| Meijer LPGA Classic | 73-71-71-69 | T41 |
| Wegmans LPGA Championship | 66-72-74-74 | T17 |
| Canadian Pacific Women's Open | 70-71-72-71 | T34 |
Teeing off with Thompson and Pettersen is third-ranked Lydia Ko. The 17-year-old has won twice this season and appears to be coming into her own.
LPGA Media points out how much Ko has on the line this week, as she could rise the top of the world rankings:
The veteran trio of Ai Miyazato—a two-time winner of the Evian Masters—Juli Inkster and Laura Davies will be wonderful to watch for the first 36 holes. Based on Miyazato's past Evian success, Inkster's run to a tie for 15th at the British Open, and Davies' back-to-back wins here in 1995 and '96, don't be surprised if someone from the group makes a weekend push.
This is just the second year that the Evian Championship has been designated as a major, so it is still trying to establish staying power. That effort will be bolstered as long as the game's biggest stars come out, compete well and buy in, which hasn't been a problem to date.
Not being able to say a golfer has completed the career "Grand Slam" in the traditional sense will take some getting used to. However, this is also an exciting new era in women's golf, with the likes of Thompson, Wie, Ko and Park reaching their primes in the coming years.
They are all so well developed already, and plenty of major drama should unfold on the LPGA over the next 10 years. For now, fans and golf enthusiasts can enjoy what should be an excellent 2014 Evian Championship, which will further fortify the event's status as a legitimate major.
.jpg?w=480 "Colts Jaguars Football")
