Evian water.
It started the high-price, fancy bottled water movement in the United States way back in 1978.
But the world-famous water got its start long before then. Seems some guy titled The Marquis Of Lessert guzzled some of the famous H2O in 1789 and declared that it cured his kidney and liver problems.
Hollywood folks started slugging down the stuff back in the late 70s and the fad/trend/mega-business was born.
Today there’s a huge resort there at Evian-Les-Bains on the south shore of Lake Geneva with the Swiss Alps there for everyone to see.
Enter the Evian Championship.
This used to be the Evian Masters on the less-than-significant Ladies European Tour. Started as an event on that tour in 1994.
Then someone at Evian headquarters got a brilliant idea:
Let’s buy ourselves a major championship!
And that’s exactly what transpired in 2013 when the LPGA Tour borrowed Harry Potter’s magic wand and Voila! A fifth major.
So the ladies are gathered there at the scenic Evian Resort Golf Course for the season’s final major.
Now here’s where the irony kicks in.
The major championship that was bought by water has been plagued by water. You read that right. This event has been plagued by rain and lots of it.
At last year’s event — they ended up cutting a major championship to 54 holes and crowned Anna Nordqvist a major champion.
Yes, this entire scenario is as confusing as professional women’s golf can be.
To add further confusion, you seldom know who is going to show up and play well at these majors. Women’s golf is so unpredictable.
Let’s take the first round of action at the 2018 version of the “Major That Water Bought.”
The first shocking news is that there was no rain during round one. Conditions were perfect, no wind, low scores, right?
Not for the world’s No. 1 — Sung Hyun Park. Park came into this one fresh off victory at the Brickyard, so you’d figure she’s in good form. But no, she shot a career-high tying 77.
And that folks could pave the way for yet another new No. 1 in women’s golf.
Ariya Jutanugarn is sitting there at No. 2 and will have to improve on her first round, even par 71, if she wants to regain that top spot.
So Yeon Ryu is the world’s No. 3. A final hole bogey left her four-under and just two shots out of the lead. No. 4 Inbee Park was in with 68.
Lexi (I don’t really like golf but I have to make a living) Thompson pretty much made her way around Thursday in a daze, seemingly disinterested but still managed an even par 71. Talent prevails at some point.
The top of the scoreboard is somewhat shocking. You have Spain’s Carlotta Ciganda sharing the first-round lead with rookie Maria Torres. They turned in 65s, six-under. We’ve seen Ciganda contend but Torres, the only player on tour from Puerto Rico, was no where to be seen for most of this season. Two decent months got her into the field of 120.
Brooke Henderson, the face of golf in Canada, who won in her home country last month, is right there again after she posted 67. British Open champ Georgia Hall, the new face of British women’s golf, shot 68.
So yes, some prime-time performers have shown up on day one.
As for this No. 1 ranking, seems like that changes monthly.
As for this dry day at The Evian — who says this tournament is cursed?
Editor’s Update: Of course it rained early on Friday then cleared. Maria Torres continued to impress with a 69 that got her to eight-under and the early clubhouse lead after the morning wave. World’s No. 1 Sung Hyun Park’s 71 left he at six-over and she’ll miss the cut and could surrender the No. 1 ranking as well.
4 Comments
baxter cepeda
Great stuff Tom.
I disagree quite often with this scribe readers but like anyone not poised to make a few bucks from this shady major with the Evian, I agree strongly in this case.
Like everyone whom follows golf it was easy to agree that Mike Whan was a genius…until this… where his success made him feel like the Beetles, only in the commissioners case bigger than Bobby Jones, Jack and Tiger combined.
Since the Evian major designation Whan has lost so much respect he could literally cure world thirst and many of us would still say: yeah but he still sold out to sponsors and created a cheesball major.
We’ve all heard the justifications but unlike Evian no one is buying it.
And to Toms point, in 2018 being sponsored by the folks whom basically invented the most senseless form of pollution, single serving plastic bottles, should be considered a huge part of the flaws here. The act of selling water alone makes me sick but to think of all the plastic is just sad.
It is a nice course, its quarkiness being what makes it unpredictable as it is not so easy for the bombers to simply outpace everyone with distance; as can be done at courses like the Brickyard.
In some ways its the Sawgrass of the ladies game, only the tpc has luckily still not forced itself into major status.
I actually believe this Evian (and Players) controversy is one of the main reasons golfchannel.com stopped allowing readers posts. GC are clearly one of those parties in position to make a few extra bucks from this senseless major designation for Evian.
Despite this company bias, often even GCs own experts need to be true to themselves and go on record against this event as a major.
Regardless of the time of year its held, water in a bottle of from the sky is not what most flaws this event…it is simply its status.
Like The Players, its a nice event…until they ruin it annually by trying to make it bigger than it is. All in the name of money and at the cost of credibility and integrity.
Also, its amazing how easy it is to remember the four women whom won majors this year, but after this week it will get a lot harder. Think about it, quick, who won womens majors last year? Not so quick to remember because remembering 5 things is like 20% harders than remembering 4.
It’s time time to quench this issue.
Imo.
Tom Edrington
Baxter: We always welcome and encourage your deep thought, as in this case. Thanks for the observations, and we’re going to have the quotes from the Evian tournament director that France basically gives a rat’s patootie about golf!
baxter cepeda
Forgot to mention this is one of those Lpga events which did a do over, scratching posted scores and starting again. Probably to preserve some integrity fir their valued sponsors but actually only further damaging some of the tours integrity.
Tom Edrington
For sure…