Despite yesterday’s thunderstorms and rain cutting short the remaining rounds in the afternoon, the bright sunshine from the first round returned this morning. This gave the early birds an opportunity to watch the 66 players who had not finished their second 18 holes starting at 7:30 am.

The radiant Ayaka Furue confirmed her leading status at a total of -12, finishing her second round with five pars this morning. Two strokes behind, Australian Stephanie Kyriacou and Thai Patty Tavatanakit share second place at -10. This morning, the talented Hye-Jin Choi, now ranked 4th in the Majors, made a remarkable performance. After ending her first nine holes with two bogeys, she decorated her return with four birdies. If she maintains this form, the 55th-ranked player in the world will undoubtedly be one to watch this afternoon.

Furue Won't Relinquish the Lead

Determined to stay atop the leaderboard, the Japanese player, who has secured eight top-10 finishes in sixteen tournaments this season, remains the leader of The Amundi Evian Championship 2024. Despite a slight dip in form at the end of her round yesterday afternoon, she relied on flawless putting to save pars on the 10th and 12th holes. She then made another par on the 13th before the foghorn halted play. Resuming this morning on the 14th tee, dressed in a bright yellow top as brilliant as her game, she hit another regulation green. She then created two clear birdie opportunities on the 15th and 16th, but without success. Two more pars to complete her second 18 holes keep her in sole possession of the lead at the halfway point, with no mistakes over 36 holes. 12 birdies, 24 pars, a masterclass performance.

Jin-Young and Lydia Ko, Patty Tavatanakit, Céline Boutier, Brooke Henderson, Angela Stanford, and Hyo Joo Kim All in Contention

Except for Nelly Korda, who has been less impressive than at the start of the season, most favorites have settled into the top-30. Jin-Young Ko, Boutier, and Henderson all managed to finish their second rounds yesterday before the storms. The South Korean world number 3 posted a superb 67 (-4), our defending champion recorded a sixth consecutive round in the '60s at Évian with a 68 (-3), as did the 2022 winner who is once again present in Haute-Savoie.

Patty Tavatanakit, Lydia Ko, Angela Stanford, and Hyo Joo Kim still had work to complete their second rounds this morning. The smiling Thai player is tied for second place (-10) with Stephanie Kyriacou. The 2015 and 2018 winners Ko and Stanford are respectively at -4 and -5 after 36 holes. Kim, despite a dip in form this morning, is also entering the third round in 16th position after cards of 65/72.

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