[Photo: JD Cuban/Rolex]
Jeeno Thitikul is chasing her first major title at this week’s Amundi Evian Championship and she’s leaning on the guidance of a familiar face in fellow Rolex Testimonee Lydia Ko.
The 23-year-old Thai star, who finished runner-up at Evian last year, has spoken openly about the close bond she shares with Ko, describing the Kiwi as an older sister and role model. Ko made history at Evian in 2015, becoming the youngest major champion in the sport at just 18 years old, a milestone that’s shaped how Thitikul views her friend’s career.
[Photo: JD Cuban/Rolex] Lydia Ko, a Rolex Testimonee, at the 2024 Amundi Evian Championship.
Thitikul says it’s not just Ko’s game she admires. “Everything she has done for the tour, it matters more than what she just achieved on the course,” Thitikul said of her friend and mentor.
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Evian Resort Golf Club also holds a special place for Thitikul herself, who has called it her favourite course on tour, pointing to the hilly terrain and demanding elevation changes that make it as much a mental challenge as a physical one.
[Photo:J.D. Cuban/Rolex] A view of the 18th hole at the Evian Resort Golf Club Champions Course.
Now in its 32nd edition, the tournament has grown into one of women’s golf biggest stages since being elevated to major status in 2013, with the course’s testing run through the foothills of the French Alps drawing praise from players for combining scenery with a genuine test of shot-making.
Rolex has backed the event as Official Timepiece since 2000, part of a broader partnership with the women’s game that also includes fellow Testimonees Nordqvist and Henderson, past champions from 2017 and 2022 respectively. The pair headline a field that also includes Ruoning Yin as Thitikul looks to go one better than last year’s runner-up finish.
The 32nd edition of the tournament runs from July 9-12.
