Golf wasn't the first love of Cara Gainer or Gabriela Ruffels, who grew up wanting to be professional tennis players and came close to making it.

Gainer, a No. 129-ranked Englishwoman, and Ruffels, a 71st-ranked Australian, will be in the final group at the Evian Championship on Sunday.

Cara Gainer and Gabriela Ruffels, initially aspiring tennis professionals, now aim for a major win in golf. Ranked 129 and 71, they lead at the Evian Championship, sharing close ties with tennis. Their journeys reflect a shift from early tennis ambitions to significant golf achievements.

When it comes to money talk in France, the buzz around the 2025 Amundi Evian Championship was how much a player didn't make. Amateur Lottie Woad finished in a share of third at the year's fourth major championship but didn't collect the six-figure paycheck.

Golf wasn’t the first love of Cara Gainer or Gabriela Ruffels, who grew up wanting to be professional tennis players and came close to making it. Now they’re in sight of becoming an unlikely major winner in their adopted sport.