Six Australians will be teeing it up at the spectacular Evian Resort Golf Club this week in the final major of the year, the Evian Championship.

Leading the charge will once again by Karrie Webb, who is a seven-time major championship winner. Webb is joined in the field by Katherine Hull-Kirk, Lindsey Wright, Sarah Jane Smith, Sarah Kemp and Rebecca Artis.

120 of the top players in the world will be gracing the lush fairways of the Evian Resort, which is situated on Lake Geneva, about an hour from Geneva.

This year the tournament, formerly known as the Evian Masters, has been added to the LPGA and LET schedules as a major tournament.

In preparation for being a major, the course underwent extensive renovations since the conclusion of last year’s event. All the tees have been modified and the fairways reworked. Every green has been remodelled, they are now firmer and more undulating, with larger surface area allowing for six pin positions. There are a number of additional hazards for the players to manage in particular newly created or enlarged water hazards and deeper bunkers repositioned around the course.

The course is now a par 71 and is measuring 6,428 yards (5,884 metres), with the recent wet weather in Evian, the course is playing long.

“The changes are great, I really love the new par 3’s, the 5th and 16th.” said Webb before her practice round on Tuesday.

Webb has won Evian Masters back in 2006 and if it wasn’t for an unbelievable putting display last year by Rolex World No.1 Inbee Park, it would have been another title.

The 39 time winner on the LPGA thoroughly enjoys her trip to France.
“It is a spectacular place, I always look forward to this tournament every year. The views over Lake Geneva from the golf course are amazing.“

For Smith, Kemp and Artis it is their first venture to Evian. Smith and Kemp qualified through their LPGA status, while Artis secured the final spot in the field last Sunday when she captured her first LET title in Sweden.

The players will be vying for their share of the US$3,250,000 on offer this week. It, alongside the Women’s US Open has the highest purse in women’s professional golf.

Three Australians have won the Evian Masters, Webb, Wendy Doolan and Rachel Hetherington, lets hope there is an Aussie is holding the trophy aloft come Sunday evening.