(Photo credit score: Raymond Carlin III-Imagn Images)
Somi Lee carded a 6-under 65 Friday to seize a one-shot lead on the Evian Championship, the fourth of this season’s 5 LPGA Tour majors.
Lee, of South Korea, eagled the par-5 ninth gap on the Evian Resort Golf Club in Evian-les-Bains, France, to associate with six birdies and two bogeys to get to 10-under total.
Lee is coming off her first LPGA Tour win on the Dow Championship workforce occasion final month with Jin Hee Im.
‘I feel, first, this course is so lovely, however you realize, the inexperienced is so tough, so I’m simply (working towards) distance,’ Lee mentioned. ‘I’m simply (targeted) on distance. Miss left, miss proper, by no means thoughts. Just distance — is it excellent.’
Australia’s Grace Kim, certainly one of 5 first-round co-leaders, is in solo second at 9-under after capturing a 68 on Friday. American Jennifer Kupcho is in third at 8-under after an eventful 69 that included seven birdies and 5 bogeys.
‘Been making loads of putts and placing effectively,’ Kupcho mentioned. ‘I feel it is simply sort of rolling, seeing the traces effectively. Feel like I’ve been right here sufficient occasions that I’m beginning to be taught the greens a bit of bit, in order that helps.’
South Korea’s Hye-Jin Choi (68), South Africa’s Casandra Alexander (68) and American Andrea Lee (70) are tied for fourth.
‘It was a little bit of a troublesome day on the market. Wasn’t essentially the most tidy scorecard or tidy golf I’ve had. Didn’t hit it the very best off the tee,’ Alexander mentioned. ‘But I feel I made one thing nice out of not-such-a-great scenario. Had loads of good up and downs and placing has been actually good.’
World No. 2 Jeeno Thitikul is tied for seventh after a second straight spherical of 68.
World No. 1 Nelly Korda of the U.S. is a part of a gaggle tied for twelfth at 5-under. Her second-round 70 included a double-bogey on the par-3 sixteenth gap and an eagle on the par-5 18th, the place she holed a double-breaking putt from about 30 ft.
Top-ranked newbie Lottie Woad of England is tied with Korda after a 2-under 69.
‘There was a number of tucked pins right this moment and I hit it rather well the previous few days,’ Woad mentioned. ‘Maybe might have holed a number of extra putts, but when I can repair that over the weekend, if I can maintain hitting it effectively, it will be good.’
Defending champion Ayaka Furue of Japan is tied for twenty sixth at 3-under.
Among these lacking the lower at 2-over-par have been U.S. Women’s Open champion Maja Stark, world No. 3 Lydia Ko and No. 4 Ruoning Yin.
–Field Level Media