After recently winning her first title on the Ladies European Tour, Czech number one Sára Kousková will tee off on July 10 in Evian, France, for her first major tournament – the Amundi Evian Championship. At this star-studded event with a prize fund of $8 million, Kousková will be the only Czech player in the field.
At 26 years old, Sára Kousková marks another milestone in her individual career, as well as for Czech golf as a whole. She will be the sole Czech competitor among 132 players from 32 countries, representing the absolute global elite. At Evian, we will see nearly the entire top fifty of the world rankings, whom Sára Kousková will compete against: “It’s incredible to be here among players I looked up to as a teenage golfer. I admired them – and now I’m on the same tournament with them. Today, for example, I practiced next to players I’ve been following for a long time, like Lydia Ko. It’s a huge reward for all the work we put in. And I’m really happy about it. Plus, with my last name, I have some pretty nice neighbors in the locker room – from Lydia Ko, through Nelly, to Jennifer Kupcho,” the Czech golfer shared in a press release, expressing her excitement.
Kousková qualified for the Amundi Evian Championship by winning the Jabra Ladies Open, and the amazing experience in the Evian Resort naturally came back to her: “It’s strange, but also beautiful to be here again – such a déjà vu. Memories of what I experienced here recently keep coming back. There are also some media obligations involved – filming for Evian, for Amundi, a small press conference, photos… It’s stunning here. And the pink color is really everywhere – it completely runs through the tournament. I’m looking forward to it. I think it will be a wonderful week.”
Sára Kousková thus leaves another Czech mark in the history of major tournaments, following in the footsteps of other Czech players. The most notable contribution came from Klára Davidson Spilková with her incredible 20 starts across four of the five world majors (the only one missing from her collection is the Chevron Championship). Davidson Spilková most recently competed at this year’s U.S. Women’s Open, where Czech golf even had two players in the starting field, thanks to amateur Hana Ryšková, who qualified for the most famous major as the winner of the US Women’s Mid-Amateur Championship. Other Czech players with major appearances in their resumes include Šideri Váňová (Women’s British Open 2018), Jana Melichová (AIG Women’s Open 2022 and 2024), and Kristýna Napoleaová (AIG Women’s Open 2023).
Ahead of the Evian Championship – one of her biggest tournaments in her career after the Paris Olympics – Sára Kousková gave her body a thorough reset after demanding weeks on the LET: “Physically, I’m rested now, but just as importantly, I’m also mentally refreshed. I know this place well, which helps me a lot mentally. I don’t see it as a star-studded week, but rather as something I can approach calmly. Knowing I’m returning to a familiar environment helps me stay composed,” the Czech player assessed her chances at the tournament, adding: “As for my goals in the tournament, I want to play my own good golf. All my effort and focus I want to direct towards that. I don’t want to tie myself down to specific results – whether it’s finishing in the top 20 or winning. I don’t want to put pressure on myself. If I keep a calm head here, as we managed to do at the Jabra Ladies Open, I believe the results will come naturally.”
Czech fans can follow the broadcasts on Golf Channel CZ to see if Sára Kousková makes the cut and becomes only the second Czech player to reach the weekend final rounds.
Sára Kousková will tee off for her first major on Thursday, July 10 at 12:24 from the 10th tee.
Follow the results of the Amundi Evian Championship, part of the Ladies European Tour, here.
Author: Tomáš Přikryl (www.cgf.cz)