Evian Championship 2017: Tee Times, Dates, TV Schedule, LPGA Prize Money
The 2017 Evian Championship gets underway at the Evian Resort Golf Club in France on Thursday, amid questions about the future of the LPGA European Tour circuit.
Defending champion In Gee Chun, along with World No. 1 So Yeon Ryu, will feature in a strong field, one dominated by players from the top tier of the world rankings.
They will be competing for a share of the prize money, a purse increased in total to $3.65 million, according to the LPGA official website, with the winner due $547,500, per Dennis Manoloff of the Cleveland Plain-Dealer.
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Here are the schedule and viewing details:
Date:
Tee Time (Round 1): 6:45 p.m. BST/7:45 a.m. local/1:45 a.m. ET
TV: NBC Golf Channel
TV Schedule:
- September 14: 5 a.m.-8 a.m. (ET). 9:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m.
- September 15: 5 a.m.-8 a.m. (ET). 9:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m.
- September 16: 6:30-11:30 a.m. (ET)
- September 17: 8 a.m.-12 p.m. (ET)
Full list of tee times and pairings for Round 1, per LPGA.com.
Ryu is chasing a third major win in her career, per Amy Rogers of the LPGA official website. However, finishing ahead of Chun won't be easy, not after the way she made history by winning at Evian in 2016 to make it two wins from two at major championships.
Yet Ryu is a player in peak form ahead of Thursday. The 27-year-old has won twice on the circuit this season and is more than justifying her place atop the rankings.
Ryu and Chun will both stake strong claims to win in France, but both should be wary of Lexi Thompson. The American won at the IWiT Championship in Indianapolis recently, proof of her ability to challenge Ryu's top ranking.
Rogers noted how Thompson is also no stranger to thriving in Evian: "She has three top-10s in her career."
Chun's pedigree aside, the winner of this year's tournament looks likely to come from the trio of Ryu, Thompson and Sung Hyun Park. This group will tee off at 8:18 a.m. local time/2:18 a.m. ET in a star-studded grouping comprised of the top three players on the circuit, per the Rolex rankings.
Park has to be considered a strong contender after her thrilling performance at last year's tournament, where she finished tied for second.
While the players involved will be vying for a significant win, those putting the tournament on may have more far-reaching concerns. Specifically, there are doubts about the future of the European Tour.
LPGA Commissioner Mike Whan and head of the European Senior Tour David McLaren met with the LET board in Geneva, Switzerland, on Monday, according to John Huggan of Golf Digest.
Among the proposals set to be made was a different approach to funding and commercial sponsors. There is also a concern about the number of events being played, with the Evian Masters one of only eight left on the schedule, per the same source.
In the meantime, Ryu and those chasing her in the rankings will look to claim one of the best titles remaining on the circuit. On current form, though, the world No. 1 looks a likely winner.
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