Anna Nordqvist Wins Second Major At Evian Championship

The Swede won her second major title in a playoff after a thrilling day which included two eagles and four birdies

Anna Nordqvist Wins Second Major At Evian Championship

Anna Nordqvist capped an incredible year with her second major title at the Evian Championship in France.

The Swede shot a closing 66 to win in a playoff over world #102 Brittany Altomare.

Nordqvist began the day three behind leader Moriya Jutanugarn, world #4 Ariya’s sister, but the Thai bogeyed 13 and 18 to finish at -8 and one stroke out of the playoff.

Nordqvist was two over after five holes but came back with a birdie on six, an eagle on seven as well as three birdies and an eagle on the back nine, although she bogeyed 18 to finish at -9.

American Brittany Altomare made a long birdie putt on 18 to tie Nordqvist and get into a playoff. She also shot a five-under-par 66 on Sunday.

The winning moment. (PHILIPPE DESMAZES/AFP/Getty Images)

The American was ranked #566 at the start of last year and only had her first LPGA Tour top-10 two weeks ago at the Portland Classic, which Stacey Lewis won and donated all her prize money to the Houston Hurricane Harvey fund.

Former world number one Lydia Ko came close – she birdied 14 and then pitched in for eagle on 15 but bogeyed the 18th to finish level with Jutanugarn in a tie for third.

“It was probably the shot of the year for me, the chip-in on 15,” said Ko.

The top Brit was Georgia Hall in T10 at -4 after a closing one-over-par round of 72.

It was Nordqvist who was the star with her five-under-par 66 which incredibly featured three bogeys, four birdies and two eagles.

Georgia Hall was the top Brit at four-under. (PHILIPPE DESMAZES/AFP/Getty Images)

As Nordqvist and Altomare went back to the 18th tee, the rain turned torrential and sideways, with the green beginning to pick up hailstones.

Both ladies had to lay up short of the green after poor tee shots and Altomare made double-bogey, meaning a bogey was enough for Nordqvist to secure her second career major and second LPGA Tour title of 2017.

This year she has battled glandular fever, which took her out of the Women’s British Open, before playing a starring role in Team Europe’s Solheim Cup efforts, which they eventually came up short in.

Highlights of Nordqvist’s round:

Nordqvist said,  “I love competing and I love practising, and staying in bed hasn’t been the most exciting.

“My grandpa was always my biggest role model. He always used to tell me to never give up, and that’s what I never did today.”

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