[Evian] 'Runner-up in Overtime' Lee Jeong-eun6 "I wanted to show the Taegeukgi being raised~"

4th Major Evian Championship Final Day: Lee Minji Starts 5-Stroke Lead but Loses Comeback "Regretful but Did My Best"

Lee Jeong-eun 6 is making a birdie on the 16th hole on the final day of the Amundi Evian Championship. Evian-les-Bains, France = Getty Images / Multibits

[Asia Economy Reporter Noo Rae] "It's disappointing, but I did my best."

This is the story of Lee Jeong-eun6 (25, Daebang Construction). On the 26th (Korean time), at the Evian Golf Club (par 71, 6,527 yards) in Evian-les-Bains, France, the fourth major of the LPGA Tour, the Amundi Evian Championship (total prize money $4.5 million), she shed tears after a playoff battle with Minjee Lee (Australia). Starting the final day with a 5-stroke lead, her second career win was expected after two years since the 2019 US Women's Open major, but she finished at even par.

On the first hole of the playoff, the 18th hole (par 5), she dropped her second shot into the water and hung her head. "I think I made bogeys because my shots and putting were really off in the front nine," she said. She added, "I think I made a lot of mistakes." In the front nine, she made five bogeys (including three consecutive bogeys) and one birdie. In the back nine, she changed the momentum with a birdie on the 12th hole (par 4), then showed a fierce finishing kick with three consecutive birdies from the 16th to 18th holes, forcing the playoff.

"In the back nine, I focused on my swing rhythm and putting stroke to make birdies," said Lee Jeong-eun6. "I think I did well just to reach the playoff with birdies on the last three holes. I wanted to show the Taegeukgi (Korean flag) coming down to domestic golf fans, so that's a bit disappointing," she confessed. Regarding the mistake on the second shot in the playoff, she explained, "My body was a bit tired, so I made a mis-shot, but I still did my best."