Ryu’s Major Masterclass: How She Battled Chaos to Claim Back-to-Back Evian Titles

Sunday at the Evian. You know how it goes. It’s never a smooth ride. This year? This year was pure, unadulterated chaos. Haeran Ryu, already riding high from a major win just weeks prior, found herself staring down a lead that seemed solid. Then, like a bolt from the blue, the golf gods decided to throw everything but the kitchen sink at her. And somehow, she didn’t just survive; she thrived. This wasn’t just a win; it was a masterclass in handling pressure, a testament to nerves of steel when everything around you is falling apart.

That Saturday Scorecard: History Made, Lead Secured

Let’s rewind to Saturday. Ryu’s scorecard looked like something out of a fantasy novel. Nine birdies, an eagle. A ridiculous 11-under 60. Lowest ever score in a women’s major. Boom. A three-shot lead heading into Sunday. It felt like a done deal, right? Especially when Aki Iwai, one of her closest competitors, went and double-bogeyed the third hole. Suddenly, Ryu’s lead ballooned to five. Easy street. Or so everyone thought.

This is golf, though. Especially the Evian. It’s got a reputation for serving up Sunday surprises, and this year was no exception. You can have all the control in the world on Saturday, but Sunday is a different beast entirely. The pressure cooker cranks up, and suddenly those comfortable leads can evaporate faster than a puddle on a hot day.

The Henderson Hurricane: Eagles and Aces

Enter Brooke Henderson. She started the day seven shots back. Seven! Most players would be playing for pride, maybe a top-10 finish. Not Henderson. She birdied the first. Then, on the par-5 seventh, she eagles. Still not enough. The very next hole, the par-3 eighth, she slams a tee shot straight into the hole for an ACE. An eagle and an ace in the span of two holes? That’s not just playing golf; that’s rewriting the script on the fly. Suddenly, Ryu’s lead was cut to just one. The comfortable stroll had turned into a white-knuckle race.

Meanwhile, Iwai, after her early stumble, started to find her rhythm. Birdies at the sixth and ninth brought her back into the picture, sitting just two shots behind Ryu at the turn. The chase pack was closing in, and the tension on the course was palpable. You could practically feel it through the TV screen. This was shaping up to be a classic Sunday showdown.

The Evian Grind: Lead Vanishes, Playoff Looms

Ryu’s lead held steady at two shots for a while. But then, at the 14th and 15th holes, Iwai dropped two more birdies. Suddenly, she was tied with Ryu at 18 under. The five-shot cushion? Gone. The dream scenario? Now a three-way battle. And if that wasn’t enough drama, Henderson birdied her hole to pull even with Ryu and Iwai. Three players, tied for the lead, heading into the final stretch. This is what major championship golf is all about, isn’t it? The sheer unpredictability.

The 17th hole, a par-4, saw both Iwai and Ryu make par. Henderson, however, missed a crucial three-foot putt for par. A tiny mistake, but in major championships, those tiny mistakes can be the difference between winning and… well, not winning. She fell one shot back, heading to the par-5 18th needing something special.

And then the 18th happened. Iwai and Ryu both pushed their tee shots left. Not ideal. They had to lay up. Henderson, on the other hand, split the fairway perfectly and then stuffed her second shot to within eight feet of the pin. An eagle opportunity. The door had swung wide open for her to win it in regulation.

Clutch Putts and Near Misses: The Playoff Beckons

Ryu and Iwai both found the green with their third shots, but they were considerably further away than Henderson. The scenario was set: if either Ryu or Iwai made birdie, Henderson would need to make her eagle putt to force a playoff. If they both missed, Henderson would have a chance to win outright.

Ryu stepped up first. After a day of battling, and 17 holes without a birdie on Sunday, she needed one to at least force a playoff. She hit a confident stroke, and the ball just kissed the left edge of the cup before dropping. A massive birdie, putting her at 19 under. Relief, surely. But the job wasn’t done.

Iwai went next. For the 24-year-old Japanese player, this was already her best major finish by a country mile. But to get into a playoff, she needed to make this medium-length putt. It missed left. The stage was now set for Henderson. Could she pull off the impossible?

Henderson, who had already carded two eagles and an ace on the day, needed a third eagle to extend the tournament. But those missed short putts earlier on the 14th and 17th were weighing on her. She took a deep breath, addressed the ball, and rolled it… right into the heart of the cup. An eagle! A playoff was on.

Emotional Rollercoaster: Tears and Triumph

As Henderson and Ryu prepared for the playoff, Iwai’s emotions finally spilled over. She spoke about her near-miss, tears welling up. “I got confidence. I never gave up,” she said, her voice thick with emotion. It’s tough to come that close, to taste victory and have it slip through your fingers. Lydia Ko was there to offer some comfort, a nice moment of sportsmanship amidst the intense pressure.

Back on the 18th tee for the playoff, the script flipped again. This time, it was Henderson who pulled her tee shot left. Ryu, meanwhile, found the fairway dead center. After Henderson laid up, Ryu hit her second shot onto the green, leaving herself a long eagle putt. With Ryu likely to make a two-putt birdie, Henderson knew she needed to get her approach shot incredibly close to have any hope of extending the playoff.

But her approach tugged left, rolling off the green and into the rough. Ryu cozied her first putt to about four feet. Henderson faced a must-make chip for birdie to keep her dream alive. But the magic that had fueled her incredible Sunday charge finally ran out. Her chip missed low. Ryu was left with a four-footer for the win. Four feet to claim back-to-back majors. A dream that seemed so far away just three weeks ago.

History Made: Ryu’s Second Major in a Row

Ryu stepped up to the putt. No hesitation. She calmly rolled it into the center of the cup. Game over. Haeran Ryu had done it. She had won her second consecutive major title. This wasn’t just a personal triumph; it was LPGA history. The first time two players had won back-to-back majors in the same season. Nelly Korda had kicked off the year with two majors, and now Ryu was doing the same. It’s a testament to the incredible talent and depth of talent in the women’s game right now.

“Feels like unreal right now,” Ryu said, still processing the win. “Because today [my] shots [were] pretty good but my putting is bad. I [was] just thinking like oh, God, please go in the hole, please. Every hole, I just pray. But the last hole and the birdie hole there, just thank God I can say that part. And it feels like just unreal dream right now.” That raw emotion, the disbelief mixed with pure joy – that’s what makes these moments so special.

Henderson, who had finished third to Ryu at the previous major, wasn’t dwelling on the missed opportunity. She saw this chaotic Sunday, the incredible comeback, and the playoff loss as just another step. “I played awesome today, which is really exciting,” she said. “To finish second in a major and third couple weeks ago, definitely game is in a really good spot. Obviously, it’s very exciting to get into a playoff. Wish I had played a little bit better, but Haeran has been playing great.” She’s already looking ahead, probably to the next major. That’s the mindset of a champion.

Back on the 18th green, Ryu was once again doused in champagne. The spoils of victory. The feeling of achieving something truly remarkable. “This is just a dream right now,” she repeated. “Because before three weeks [ago], I don’t have a major championship, but now two in a row. So I’m so happy and — I can’t believe it right now.” It’s a journey that started with a historic Saturday score and ended with a playoff battle and her name etched into the record books. A true testament to resilience and playing your best when it matters most. For anyone looking to understand the mental game of golf, Ryu’s Sunday at the Evian is a masterclass. You can find more about major championship events and results on official golf sites like the LPGA Tour website .