This is an archived article that was published on sltrib.com in 2016, and information in the article may be outdated. It is provided only for personal research purposes and may not be reprinted.

Evian-les-Bains, France • Walking toward the 18th green at the Evian Championship with one putt to make golfing history, In Gee Chun felt the nerves gripping her.

After some motivating words from her caddie, she steadied herself and sank a putt from 10 feet to hold a difficult par. That putt saw her win on 21 under to record the lowest 72-round ever in a men's or women's major.

It was the 22-year-old South Korean's second major after winning last year's women's U.S. Open.

Given her lead over countrywomen Sung Hyun Park and So Yeon Ryu, victory was effectively assured as Chun approached the 18th tee. But it looked like she might miss the record lowest score when her tee shot flew into the left rough.

After chatting to her caddie, she chose the safe option and used a wedge to chop her way onto the fairway, about 95 yards from the pin.

Then, Chun glided her ball over the water magnificently to give herself a shot at history. But the short walk to the green felt like an eternity.

"I was so nervous," Chun said. "So my caddie David Jones told me 'if you make the par, I buy the dinner.'"

Jones might regret it when he sees the bill.

"I can pick any expensive one," said a smiling Chun, who broke the record of 20 under co-held by Henrik Stenson and Jason Day, and also bettered the women's record by two.

She led from start to finish, although she did share the first-round lead with Park — who finished four shots back in a tie for second with Ryu.

Shanshan Feng, China's only major winner, was six shots back in fourth place, with South Korean Sei Young Kim posting an impressive 65 to move up to fifth ahead of countrywoman I.K. Kim.

Chun finished the day with a 2-under 69, the most modest of her four rounds. Not that it took anything away from her achievement.

"I just cannot believe I won the Evian Championship and made 21 under par," Chun said moments after her win as she clutched the trophy. "I'm not dreaming right?"

Some difference from last year, when she missed the cut here at Evian Resort. In 2014 she tied for 65th.

Over four days of intensely accurate driving and clinical putting, she was near-faultless this time. Her only significant blemish was a double bogey on the ninth hole in the third round — and even then she limited the damage having opted for a two-stroke penalty.

There was one bogey on Sunday, on the 14th, but Chun made a birdie on the next to move back to 21 under and almost added another birdie on the 16th, with her attempt stopping just short.

Chun is the only the second player in LPGA history to have her first two LPGA wins come at majors. The other was countrywoman Se Ri Pak in 1998.

After making her record-breaking putt, Chun raised both arms in the air.

"I think she's an amazing ambassador for the women's game," said Lydia Ko, the defending Evian champion. "You can kind of see that from her personality."

It was a tournament to forget for Ko.

Chasing her third major, the 19-year-old New Zealander finished in a tie for 43rd at 2 over.

She did enough, however, to win the third edition of the Rolex Annika Major Award — rewarding the player with the best combined record at all five majors and named after 10-time major winner Annika Sorenstam.

"For (Sorenstam) to be here and for her to be able to present the trophy to me makes it even more special," Ko said.

Ko won the ANA Inspiration in April, where Chun was tied for second.

That tournament was Chun's first start after a month out with a back injury caused in bizarre circumstances. She was struck by a hard-case suitcase that rival South Korean player Ha Na Jang's father dropped down an escalator at the Singapore airport.

"I was struggling, between the injury and my body and psychological problems," Chun said through a translator. "It was an inner struggle, and it was going around and around, so it was difficult for me to get out of that situation." —

Sunday's scores

LPGA Evian Championship

At Evian Resort Golf Club

Evian-les-Bains, France

Purse: $3.25 million

Yardage: 6,482 Par: 71

Final

DIn Gee Chun, $487,500 63-66-65-69 — 263 -21

So Yeon Ryu, $259,576 66-66-69-66 — 267 -17

Sung Hyun Park, $259,576 63-68-67-69 — 267 -17

Shanshan Feng, $168,848 64-67-69-69 — 269 -15

Sei Young Kim, $135,904 69-71-65-65 — 270 -14

In-Kyung Kim, $111,194 70-69-64-69 — 272 -12

Angela Stanford, $93,074 65-68-71-70 — 274 -10

Haru Nomura, $81,543 68-69-69-69 — 275 -9

Ariya Jutanugarn, $67,265 73-67-70-67 — 277 -7

Brooke M. Henderson, $67,265 69-71-67-70 — 277 -7

Gerina Piller, $67,265 68-72-67-70 — 277 -7

Jodi Ewart Shadoff, $55,842 73-71-64-71 — 279 -5

Jane Park, $55,842 71-68-67-73 — 279 -5

Amy Yang, $47,881 69-71-72-68 — 280 -4

Emily K. Pedersen, $47,881 72-69-69-70 — 280 -4

Candie Kung, $47,881 69-67-73-71 — 280 -4

Jenny Shin, $39,470 69-71-73-68 — 281 -3

Mi Jung Hur, $39,470 71-69-72-69 — 281 -3

Ha Na Jang, $39,470 70-71-69-71 — 281 -3

Carlota Ciganda, $39,470 70-68-72-71 — 281 -3

Jennifer Song, $39,470 68-67-72-74 — 281 -3

Kelly W Shon, $30,949 74-71-69-68 — 282 -2

Megan Khang, $30,949 69-70-74-69 — 282 -2

Jessica Korda, $30,949 69-70-74-69 — 282 -2

Lexi Thompson, $30,949 73-70-69-70 — 282 -2

Mika Miyazato, $30,949 73-66-70-73 — 282 -2

Anna Nordqvist, $30,949 71-68-70-73 — 282 -2

Annie Park, $30,949 64-73-72-73 — 282 -2

Brittany Lincicome, $30,949 68-66-74-74 — 282 -2

Sarah Jane Smith, $23,419 69-69-75-70 — 283 -1

Karine Icher, $23,419 71-70-70-72 — 283 -1

Moriya Jutanugarn, $23,419 69-71-71-72 — 283 -1

Ally McDonald, $23,419 70-69-72-72 — 283 -1

Xi Yu Lin, $23,419 68-71-69-75 — 283 -1

Danielle Kang, $23,419 68-68-72-75 — 283 -1

Catriona Matthew, $19,439 73-70-72-69 — 284 E

Hee Young Park, $19,439 70-72-70-72 — 284 E

Yani Tseng, $19,439 69-69-72-74 — 284 E

Cristie Kerr, $16,803 73-71-72-69 — 285 +1

Jin Young Ko, $16,803 68-74-71-72 — 285 +1

Chella Choi, $16,803 71-68-74-72 — 285 +1

Hyo Joo Kim, $16,803 72-70-68-75 — 285 +1

Alison Lee, $14,035 71-70-75-70 — 286 +2

Cheyenne Woods, $14,035 71-70-72-73 — 286 +2

Lydia Ko, $14,035 70-68-75-73 — 286 +2

Tiffany Joh, $14,035 69-71-72-74 — 286 +2

Lee-Anne Pace, $14,035 71-68-73-74 — 286 +2

Paula Reto, $11,819 74-70-71-72 — 287 +3

Isabelle Boineau, $11,819 72-71-71-73 — 287 +3

Joanna Klatten, $11,819 72-70-72-73 — 287 +3

Eun-Hee Ji, $11,819 66-68-79-74 — 287 +3

Katie Burnett, $10,543 72-73-72-71 — 288 +4

Marina Alex, $10,543 69-72-74-73 — 288 +4

Charley Hull, $10,543 71-70-73-74 — 288 +4

Paula Creamer, $9,060 73-72-75-69 — 289 +5

Michelle Wie, $9,060 73-70-76-70 — 289 +5

Laura Gonzalez Escallon, $9,060 73-71-73-72 — 289 +5

Stacy Lewis, $9,060 70-72-73-74 — 289 +5

Pornanong Phatlum, $9,060 74-71-69-75 — 289 +5

Suzann Pettersen, $9,060 73-70-71-75 — 289 +5

Ilhee Lee, $7,990 72-73-74-71 — 290 +6

Su Oh, $7,990 73-71-71-75 — 290 +6

Maude-Aimee Leblanc, $7,742 70-74-76-71 — 291 +7

Pernilla Lindberg, $7,413 73-70-74-75 — 292 +8

Nuria Iturrios, $7,413 73-72-71-76 — 292 +8

Sandra Gal, $7,413 71-72-72-77 — 292 +8

Austin Ernst, $7,001 71-72-75-75 — 293 +9

Minjee Lee, $7,001 71-74-71-77 — 293 +9

Celine Herbin, $6,754 72-70-77-75 — 294 +10

Ayako Uehara, $6,590 73-71-76-76 — 296 +12

Min Seo Kwak, $6,508 72-73-78-75 — 298 +14

Azahara Munoz, $6,423 73-71-80-75 — 299 +15