Major championship fields used to feel like non-negotiable stops for golf’s elite, but the Minsol Kim Evian snub shows how much the modern calendar has changed. The field in France remains stacked. Nelly Korda, Jin Young Ko, Charley Hull, Lottie Woad, and defending champion Grace Kim give the tournament serious weight. The $9.1 million purse also reinforces Evian’s place as one of the defining weeks in women’s golf.
Yet the missing names carry their own force. Minsol Kim, Angel Yin, Lexi Thompson, In Gee Chun, and Yana Wilson are all absent for different reasons. Illness, injury, reduced scheduling, and unclear player movement have all shaped the tee sheet before the first round. Kim’s case stands apart. Far from struggling with form or nursing an injury, she is playing the best golf of her career. Her decision to stay in Korea turns a missing name into the tournament’s most revealing subplot.
Minsol Kim Turns Evian Into A Scheduling Statement
Kim’s decision carries unusual weight because it is built on choice, not damage control. She has been one of the breakout players of the KLPGA season, with wins at the iM Financial Group Open, the Korea Women’s Open, and the Mona Yongpyong Open.
That résumé would normally make a major start in France feel automatic. Instead, Kim is playing the Hana Bank Resort Women’s Open in Korea as she chases a fourth win of the season.
This is not a simple logistical hitch. It points to a structural pivot in the women’s game. For a rising Korean player with momentum, comfort, ranking traction, and strong domestic rewards, the prestige of a European major does not always win the argument. Evian offers global exposure and a massive purse, but Kim’s current run on home soil gives her something just as valuable: rhythm and control.
Her absence does not weaken her profile. It sharpens it. Kim looks like a player deciding when the global spotlight fits her plan, not a player waiting for permission to enter it.
Angel Yin’s Illness Removes A Proven Major Threat
Angel Yin’s absence cuts into the competitive depth of the championship. She is not simply a familiar name missing from the field. She is a proven major performer who has already shown she can handle Evian.
Yin finished tied for fifth at the tournament last year, which makes her missing place more meaningful. Her summer also took a concerning turn at the KPMG Women’s PGA Championship, where she withdrew before moving day because of illness. Withdrawing before the weekend shows this was not a minor issue she could simply play through.
Evian loses a player with power, experience, and recent course proof. In a major where one strong round can change the shape of the week, Yin’s absence removes a real contender before the leaderboard even starts to move.
Lexi Thompson’s Absence Reflects A Harder Career Shift
Lexi Thompson brings the most name recognition among the five absences, but her case fits the broader trajectory of her late-career shift. Thompson has stepped away from the full-time grind and now chooses her starts with caution.
Her hip injury has made that selective schedule even more complicated. Thompson withdrew from the Meijer LPGA Classic after the pain became too much to manage. She also pulled out of the KPMG Women’s PGA Championship during a summer already shaped by limited starts and physical strain.
Thompson said, “The pain in my hip reached a point where I knew I wasn’t able to compete.”
That admission explains the practical reality behind her absence. This is no longer only about form, confidence, or major ambition. It is about whether her body allows her to take on the demands of championship golf.
Her Evian history adds another layer. Thompson finished third at the event in 2013 and was runner-up in 2015. Her absence from France now stretches back to 2019, turning this year’s omission into another marker of a career that is being managed rather than chased at full speed.
A Cruel Interruption For Rookie Yana Wilson
For Yana Wilson, the timing stings even more. The 19-year-old rookie was building one of the more compelling young-player stories of the LPGA summer before illness forced her out of Evian.
Wilson had just won the Dow Championship alongside Gina Kim. It was the first LPGA Tour title for both players, and it gave Wilson’s rookie season a true breakthrough moment. A major start in France would have offered the natural next test against one of the deepest fields of the year.
A poorly timed illness derailed that breakout summer right before the flight to France.
That setback does not erase her progress, but it pauses it at the worst point. Young players often need major weeks to learn where their games stand under pressure. Wilson now has to wait for that next chance.
In Gee Chun Leaves A Quiet Gap In France
Chun’s track record at Evian demands attention. Her 2016 victory at 21 under remains one of the most striking scoring performances in major championship history. She also brought stronger recent form into 2026, including a fourth-place finish at the U.S. Women’s Open.
That is why her absence lands differently from the others. Kim made a clear scheduling choice. Yin and Wilson have illness concerns. Thompson has been managing a hip injury and a reduced calendar. Chun’s missing place comes without a clear public explanation from the LPGA Tour or her representatives at publication time.
What remains clear is the competitive loss. Evian is missing a past champion with course history, major pedigree, and recent evidence that her game can still travel.
Evian Remains Loaded, But The Empty Spaces Matter
The championship in France still has enough star power to produce a worthy major winner. Korda gives the field its headline force. Grace Kim returns as defending champion. Jin Young Ko, Charley Hull, and Lottie Woad add depth and contrast across generations.
Still, the empty spaces on the tee sheet tell a sharper story about the modern women’s game. Kim’s decision shows how a strong domestic tour can compete with major prestige. Yin and Wilson show how quickly illness can interrupt form. Thompson reflects the physical cost of a long career. Chun leaves the unresolved absence of a past Evian champion.
Together, these five missing players reveal the grind behind the polished surface of major golf. The trophy will be decided on the course, but the week’s first major statement came from the players who never made it to the first tee.
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FAQs
Why is Minsol Kim missing the Amundi Evian Championship?
Minsol Kim is staying in Korea to play the Hana Bank Resort Women’s Open while chasing another KLPGA win.
Which players are absent from the Amundi Evian Championship?
The article focuses on Minsol Kim, Angel Yin, Lexi Thompson, In Gee Chun, and Yana Wilson.
Why is Lexi Thompson not playing at Evian?
Lexi Thompson has been managing a limited schedule and a hip injury that affected her recent LPGA starts.
What happened to Yana Wilson before Evian?
Yana Wilson withdrew due to illness after winning the Dow Championship with Gina Kim.
Is the Evian Championship field still strong?
Yes. The field still includes major names such as Nelly Korda, Jin Young Ko, Charley Hull, Lottie Woad, and Grace Kim.
