Despite playing in the more difficult afternoon conditions, Jennifer Kupcho and Grace Kim joined the leaders at -6 in the opening round of The Evian Championship.
Grace Kim got it rolling early in the afternoon wave, putting together a clean scorecard with six birdies and no dropped shots. On a day where generally hitting fairways was essential, Kim was pinpoint accurate, hitting 12/13 fairways. While she wasn’t quite as accurate with her approach shots, her putting and scrambling was terrific. That included going 3/3 on sand saves.
Kim is a one-time winner on the LPGA Tour but consistently puts herself into contention. A great finish here would likely improve her chances to make the Australian International Crown team greatly, though she is fighting for that last spot with Gabi Ruffels, who is also tied for the lead.
Kupcho quietly moved up the leaderboard, being out of the TV coverage for the heavy majority of her round. She made an early bogey, but she recovered quickly making three birdies on her first nine. She really turned it into gear after making the turn though.
On her second nine, the front at the Evian Championship course, Kupcho made two birdies and an eagle on her final five holes. She made a long putt on the final hole to make that eagle, a fantastic way to close out her round. Like Nelly Korda, Kupcho only hit six fairways, but was exceptional on her approaches.
Kupcho is looking for her second win of the season after her thrilling victory in New Jersey a few weeks ago. Her form has looked solid over the past month, looking reminiscent of her breakout 2022 season where she won three times including her first major in Palm Springs.
Kupcho and Kim joined Gabi Ruffels, Leona Maguire and Andrea Lee at the top going into the second round.
