BRIDGESTONE STAFFER AYAKA FURUE WINS FIRST MAJOR AT AMUNDI EVIAN CHAMPIONSHIP IN FRANCE

COVINGTON, Ga. – Bridgestone Golf staffer Ayaka Furue captured her first major championship title at the 2024 Amundi Evian Championship in Evian-les-Bains, France, with a six-under-par 65 in the final round and a 19-under-par total.

The 24-year-old Japanese rising star played the last five holes of the tournament in five-under-par, including a dramatic eagle on the final hole, giving her a one-shot, career changing victory. The major win is the second LPGA victory for Furue, who has also won twice on the Ladies European Tour and eight times on the LPGA of Japan Tour. Furue, who first started playing golf at three-years-old in her hometown of Kobe, initially earned her card for the LPGA Tour through qualifying school in 2022.

“I’m so happy I was able to win a major it’s difficult to put into words,” said Furue. “In the final round I struggled a bit in the middle holes, but I kept telling myself “May the force be with you” and it helped with the pressure. I glad I was able to do it with a Bridgestone TOUR B XS golf ball and a full bag of Bridgestone clubs and look forward to continuing my relationship with the brand for many years to come.”  

Furue used a Bridgestone TOUR B XS golf ball to capture her first major win. The three-piece design features Bridgestone’s game changing REACTIV X system that combines a REACTIV iQ cover with a new XCLRNT mid layer for explosive distance off the tee and shot stopping spin around the greens. For help selecting which premium Bridgestone model is right for them, or to learn about new MINDSET technology, consumers should visit BridgestoneGolf.com to try Bridgestone’s Online Ball Selection Guide.  

About Bridgestone Golf

Based in Covington, GA, Bridgestone Golf USA manufactures premium golf balls, clubs and accessories under the Bridgestone and Precept brands. The company started making golf balls in 1935 and today has more golf ball design patents than any other company. Beginning in 2006, Bridgestone revolutionized golf ball selection with its custom ball-fitting program, identifying a golfer’s ideal golf ball based on personal swing characteristics. Today, as the #1 Ball-Fitter in Golf, Bridgestone has conducted over four million fittings via a combination of live-fitting, online selection, OTTO Autonomous Ball Fitting, and its V-FIT video ball fitting.  The consumer data gathered from ball-fitting continues to inspire Bridgestone’s innovative new golf ball designs, yielding industry-leading performance products for the entire range of players, from recreational golfers to the best in the world. Bridgestone Golf is proudly represented on international professional tours by Tiger Woods, Fred Couples, Matt Kuchar, Jason Day, and Chris Gotterup.  Bridgestone Golf USA is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Bridgestone Sports Co. Ltd., headquartered in Tokyo. More information:  bridgestonegolf.com.

Media Contact:

Mike Chwasky, JDPR, mikec@jdpr.com