LET Number One Alexander feeling prepped and ready for 2026 Amundi Evian Championship
South African star sits atop the Order of Merit and looks to improve on last year’s top-20 finish as the fourth Major gets underway
Korea - Ladies European Tour (LET) Order of Merit leader Casandra Alexander arrives at the 2026 Amundi Evian Championship filled with confidence and looking to build on her impressive performance from last year’s edition. The 31-year-old South African spent the majority of the week inside the top 10 during the 2025 staging before a tough final-round 73 relegated her to an outright 20th-place finish. Armed with valuable experience from a heavy summer stretch of Major appearances in the United States—including the U.S. Women’s Open and the KPMG Women’s PGA Championship—Alexander is eager to begin her campaign on Thursday at the Evian Resort Golf Club in France.
“It’s good to be back in Europe because it’s a little bit like a second home,” Alexander noted, expressing relief over the significantly shorter travel times compared to her recent transatlantic flights. “There are a couple of changes to the course, but all good memories. I had a bit of a tough last day last year, so if we can tidy that up, we can do well again. My game has actually been good. The Majors test every part of it, so if something is just a little bit off, it shows. But I’m feeling ready for this next run.” The tournament marks the beginning of a lucrative European swing for the field, which also features the upcoming ISPS Handa Women’s Scottish Open and the AIG Women’s Open.
Alexander spearheads a robust contingent of LET players in France, holding the top spot on the season-long rankings courtesy of a remarkably consistent 2026 campaign that features eight top-10 finishes, including five runner-up results. Currently ranked 33rd in the Rolex Women’s World Golf Rankings, the one-time LET winner knows the mountainous layout exceptionally well from her previous appearances at both the Jabra Ladies Open and past Major championships.
With sweltering temperatures forecasted across the four days of competition, strategic energy conservation has been a central pillar of Alexander’s truncated tournament preparation. “We’ve been here thousands of times, so we know the golf course and need to play it a lot less,” she explained, contrasting the week with the exhaustive scouting required at unfamiliar U.S. Major venues. “You’ve got to save the energy, it’s a long walk in the heat and it’s going to get hotter throughout the week. It’s about building momentum into the weekend instead of hitting a bit of a low.”
A world-class field of 132 elite players will compete for a share of the substantial $9.1 million USD prize fund from July 9–12. Alexander is scheduled to launch her opening-round challenge on Thursday morning at 8:36 AM local time, teeing off alongside South Korea’s Chella Choi and Japan’s Shuri Sakuma as Europe’s premier tournament gets underway.