One day after Jeongeun Lee6 matched the lowest round in major championship history with a 10-under 61, she was back making magic happen with a wedge that spun back into the hole for eagle on the par-4 11th. The Saturday highlight bumped Lee6’s lead to five at the Amundi Evian Championship, the same margin she’d finish the day with after a 3-under 68.
Lee6, who celebrated that 61 with a Coke, is 18 under for the tournament. The 72-hole record for LPGA majors is 21 under, set by In Gee Chun in 2016. Actually, Lee6 looks to follow in the footsteps of Chun in more ways than one. Chun broke through with her first title at the 2015 U.S. Women’s Open and made the Evian her second career victory the following year.
Lee6 captured the 2019 U.S. Women’s Open at the Country Club of Charleston and looks to take her second title at the Evian, like Chun, by a record-setting margin.
“I’m waiting so much (for) second win,” said Lee6, “but this tournament is even the major tournament. If I win, I’ll be very happy. Huge honor.”
Of course, one doesn’t have to look back very far to see how quickly a five-shot lead can disappear. Lexi Thompson led the U.S. Women’s Open by five last month when she walked off the eighth green at The Olympic Club. Thompson didn’t it make it into the playoff, which was eventually won by Yuka Saso.
The largest come-from-behind victories at major championships came at the 2006 ANA Inspiration, won by Karrie Webb, and the 1983 LPGA Championship (now KPMG Women’s PGA), won by Patty Sheehan.
Three players have come from 10 strokes back in LPGA events: Mickey Wright, 1964 Tall City Open; Annika Sorenstam, 2001 The Office Depot; and Louise Friberg, 2008 MasterCard Classic.
The largest come-from-behind victories at the Evian belong to Anna Nordqvist (2017) and Angela Stanford (2018).
A look the closest five chasing the player known as “Six”: