By: Max Bechtoldt
Three rounds are in the books at the 2024 Evian Championship, and Australian Stephanie Kyriacou is out in front at -14. Behind her are American Lauren Coughlin and Japan’s Ayaka Furue at -13.
Kyriacou, a player much more talented than many of her results would show, was terrific, looking poised as she chased down Furue. The 23-year-old from Australia hit 10/13 fairways and 17 greens, making seven birdies. Though she made seven birdies and three bogeys, her round still felt relatively uneventfel because of the poise she showed. She is looking to join some of the recent Australian dominance in 2024, with Hannah Green being second in the CME Standings and Gabi Ruffels leading the Rookie of the Year race.
Coughlin’s round wasn’t necessarily clean, despite shooting a -6 65. Coughlin had two early bogeys and was in neutral for awhile. Even through eight, Coughlin was kick-started by an eagle on the par 5 ninth hole. She went on to make a couple birdies on 10 and 15, before the shot of the tournament so far on 18 set her up for a second eagle of the day.
Though Coughlin’s putter was just okay, she hit 12/13 fairways and 17/18 greens. She has missed only five total greens this week, which is a recipe for success at a major.
After dominating the first 30 holes at -12, Ayaka Furue cooled dramatically, going just -1 on the last 24. Furue’s ball-striking once again let her down a bit, hitting just eight fairways and 11 greens, a dramatic dropoff on approach. Though her putting wasn’t as good as on Thursday and Friday, her scrambling on Saturday really kept her alive, grinding out 28 putts.
The final round kicks off at 4 AM eastern time on Golf Channel and Peacock.
