Australian golf prodigy Steph Kyriacou has fallen excruciatingly short of winning a maiden major in a dramatic finish to the Evian Championship in France.
Kyriacou led by a shot with two holes to play only to watch on with dismay as Ayaka Furue produced an astonishing finish to bury her mental demons and claim an overdue first major title of her own.
With a succession of improbable long-range putts, the Japanese winner conjured three straight birdies from 14 to 16 on Sunday before draining a brilliant eagle on the last hole to deny Kyriacou by a shot.
Furue, seemingly out of it after falling three shots behind early on the back nine, ultimately played the last five holes in five under to record a final-round six-under 65.
It was the only possible way to beat Kyriacou, who looked the winner after making her fifth birdie of the day on the 16th to nudge ahead of Thai clubhouse leader Patty Tavatanakit, who charged home with a 63.
While the 24-year-old Furue will savour the greatest moment of her career, Kyriacou will likely have nightmares at letting a golden opportunity slip with just one blemish bogey in an otherwise steely final round.
The 23-year-old led by a shot teeing off on the penultimate hole but chunked her chip shot after leaving her approach short on 17 to allow Furue to draw level with a birdie.
The inspired Japanese then denied Kyriacou the chance to force a playoff with her crazy eagle at the last.
After more than half-an-hour warming up for a possible playoff, Tavatanakit eventually had to settle for third at 17 under, two shots behind the winner.
Hannah Green, at two under after a final-round 70, finished as the second-best Australian at two under, while dual major winner Minjee Lee again endured a Sunday stumble.
After blowing a three-shot final-round lead at last month’s US Open, Lee, the 2021 Evian winner, recorded a last-day 76 to tie for 49th at one under.
Lee now has two weeks to regroup before joining Green and the Australian men’s team of Jason Day and her brother Min Woo Lee at the Paris Olympics.
