By: Max Bechtoldt
Before the storms finally came to the Evian Resort Friday, Ayaka Furue was having one of the most impressive rounds of the LPGA Tour season.
Furue was a machine Friday afternoon, shooting -6 through her first 13 holes before the day was called. Combined with her strong, -6 Thursday, Furue is sitting at -12, three strokes ahead of Stephanie Kyriacou and and Haeran Ryu at -9.
The 24-year-old from Japan birdied her first three holes of the round, then adding two more on the par 5s seven and nine. Shortly before the horn sounded, she birdied hole 11.
What made the performance so impressive wasn’t just the score, but the manner in which it happened. Furue was a machine, showing off her incredible consistency and short game. Furue hit 11 of the 13 greens so far, with just 18 putts. Her driver, particularly post-turn, wasn’t quite as accurate, but when you have Furue’s short game, that doesn’t matter a lot.
Ayaka fits the bill of a typical Evian winner. Players who win typically are strong on approach and not always the longest hitters. They also generally are among the best players on the tour, which Furue absolutely is. Furue has four top-10 finishes in majors in the last three years and despite no wins in 2024 yet, she is ranked No. 3 in the CME Standings.
