Page 20 - ARUBA TODAY

A20 SPORTS
Thursday 25 July 2019

Evian in a heat wave starts back-to-back women’s golf majors

By GRAHAM DUNBAR in eastern France is forecast back-to-back big events.
AP Sports Writer to continue for the first two “I know what I feel like after
EVIAN-LES-BAINS, France rounds with mid-30s Celsius majors and how much time
(AP) — Restored to July (mid-90s F) temperatures. I like to take off.” A win for
on the calendar, the Evi- Still, the par-71, 6,527-yard Korda, or her 10th-ranked
an Championship begins (5,968-meter) course is not sister Nelly, would extend
back-to-back weeks of ma- set up quite as expected. a streak of five straight first-
jor championships in wom- The greens are predictably time winners of majors.
en’s golf for the first time in harder and faster than in In a period lacking a domi-
six decades on Thursday. September — “runs more nant player, 10 different
It shapes up as a tough and bounces a lot more,” players won the past 10
test starting in a French Park said — though the women’s majors, starting
heat wave for players who course is playing long off with In-Kyung Kim’s 2017
aim to play eight rounds of the tee. “I’m a little bit dis- British Women’s Open title.
major golf in 11 days here In this Sunday, Sept. 16, 2018 file photo, Angela Stanford of the appointed in the fairways All 10 are in the 120-player
and at the Women’s Brit- U.S. poses with her trophy after winning the Evian Championship right now. A lot of play- Evian field.
ish Open. “There’s so much women’s golf tournament in Evian, eastern France. ers expected firm and Stanford may be the big-
emotion that is going to go Associated Press fast, and it’s not,” Stanford gest outsider among them,
into this,” defending cham- the April 4 start of the ANA complaining a little when said, adding the condi- having gone without a top-
pion Angela Stanford said Inspiration to the final round it used to be in Septem- tions could force players to 20 finish since her victory
Wednesday, pointing to a of the British Open on Aug. ber and colder,” said top- “play more on defense.” here. “Honestly, it’s been
challenge for players un- 4. To become the fifth ranked Sung Hyun Park. In On undulating hills over- a very bad year,” said the
familiar with either Evian women’s major in 2013, the a Thursday storm two years looking Lake Geneva, the forthright Texan, who could
Resort Golf Club or next $4.1 million Evian Champi- ago, Park’s 6-over score course can be a demand- take inspiration from Ameri-
week’s venue at Woburn, onship gave up its place after five holes was aban- ing walk in the heat before cans who retained their
England. in the July sun for typically doned for a fresh Friday the expected weekend ar- title in France this month.
According to the LPGA rainy September. Entire start. She missed the cut rival of thunderstorms. The Stanford said she was in
Tour, playing majors in rounds were twice swept last year. The 25-year-old forecast for Sunday’s final a Chicago park on July 7
successive weeks has not from the record books be- South Korean never played round is an autumnal 20 C watching a public screen-
been tried since 1960. This fore winners of 54-hole tour- at Evian when it was a reg- (68 F) in the rain. ing of the United States
year’s schedule also con- naments were crowned in ular LPGA Tour-sanctioned “I need to conserve en- soccer team’s victory in
denses the five majors into 2013 and 2017. event in July from 2003 to ergy,” 15th-ranked Jes- the Women’s World Cup
exactly four months — from “I do hate the cold. I was 2012. The hot, dry summer sica Korda said of playing final.q