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 Membership in Evian-les-Bains, France, to go together 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 staff occasion final month with Jin Hee Im.
“I feel, first, this course is so lovely, however , the inexperienced is so tough, so I am simply (working towards) distance,” Lee stated. “I am simply (targeted) on distance. Miss left, miss proper, by no means thoughts. Simply distance — is it excellent.”
Australia’s Grace Kim, one in every of 5 first-round co-leaders, is in solo second at 9-under after taking pictures 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 a whole lot of putts and placing properly,” Kupcho stated. “I feel it is simply form of rolling, seeing the traces properly. Really feel like I have been right here sufficient instances that I am beginning to be taught the greens a little bit 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 tricky day on the market. Wasn’t probably the most tidy scorecard or tidy golf I’ve had. Did not hit it the very best off the tee,” Alexander stated. “However I feel I made one thing nice out of not-such-a-great scenario. Had a whole lot 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.
Prime-ranked novice Lottie Woad of England is tied with Korda after a 2-under 69.
“There was a couple of tucked pins at the moment and I hit it rather well the previous couple of days,” Woad stated. “Possibly might have holed a couple of extra putts, but when I can repair that over the weekend, if I can maintain hitting it properly, it’s going to be good.”
Defending champion Ayaka Furue of Japan is tied for twenty sixth at 3-under.
Amongst these lacking the minimize at 2-over-par had been U.S. Girls’s Open champion Maja Stark, world No. 3 Lydia Ko and No. 4 Ruoning Yin.
–Area Degree Media
