By: Max Bechtoldt
The Evian Resort Championship Course is surrendered some low scores in the morning wave Thursday, led by three at the top shooting -7.
Patty Tavatanakit, Gemma Dryburgh and Ingrind Lindblad, making her pro career, are out in front early in France. Just one stroke back though is a fantastic group including past champions Lydia Ko and Hyo Joo Kim, along with strong 2024 performers Ayaka Furue and Lauren Coughlin.
Tavatanakit was solid all day, hitting 10 fairways and an impressive 16 greens, turning that fantastic ball striking into a great score with only 28 putts. Tavatanakit, who will be back in France for the upcoming Olympics, is looking for her second major title, after winning the 2021 Chevron Championship as a rookie.
Dryburgh went a different way about it, only hitting six fairways, but her 26 putts led to seven birdies without a bogey. On approach, the relatively shorter hitting Dryburgh made up for the inconsistency off the tee with 14 hit greens.
Lindblad, the 2024 Annika Award Winner, started her pro career in style, hitting 11 fairways and making no bogeys on the way to her opening 64. She is in position to match Rose Zhang’s historic first victory at the 2023 Mizuho Americas Classic.
These will likely be the best scoring conditions of the first two rounds, with weather expected to take a turn for the worse Friday.
