With a card of 64(-7), South Africa’s Paula Reto takes the lead at The Amundi Evian Championship 2023. For her 26th major, she played one of the finest rounds of her career. However, at the age of 33, with two victories as a professional and a second top 10 this year on the LPGA Tour ten days ago, she’ll have her work cut out to maintain this position. And there is no shortage of contenders snapping at her heels. Five strokes behind, four players share second place: Céline Boutier, Wichanee Meechai, Lydia Ko and Alison Lee.

Brooke Henderson holds her own while Jin-Young Ko gets into gear

It’s always hard to start a tournament as the title holder but for Brooke Henderson, it appeared quite effortless. Sporting her customary smile during the reconnaissance rounds, the 25-year-old Canadian continues to shine here in Evian with a fine 69(-2). Across the pond, golf-loving Canucks must be exceedingly proud of their sporting heroine. As her first round showed, she remains one of the best-performing players on tour. Since her major debut, she has chalked up thirteen top 10 finishes and two wins. For the record, the last woman to claim two consecutive victories at Evian was the “first lady” of golf Laura Davies, in 1995 and 1996.

The world number 1 and 2019 Evian winner has not won a major since, yet it’s not for want of trying. Jin-Young Ko’s seven top 10 finishes at her last fourteen Grand Slam tournaments testify to her amazing consistency at the highest level of women’s world golf. Obviously, when you have achieved such dominance in your sport, all eyes are on you. For the South Korean, the first round was a somewhat up-and-down affair, alternating birdies and bogeys to card a total of 70(-1). She is an outstanding champion and would no doubt have hoped for better. There is a chance, however, that this back-seat position, taking the spotlight off her slightly, might ultimately be to her advantage.


Céline Boutier in full control, a strong finish for Rose Zhang

Just like Brooke Henderson and Jin-Young Ko, Céline’s appearance was also much anticipated this week, as it is for every major at Evian. Along with being the world no.15, she is also the French public’s main hope in the quest for a win of this magnitude. Teeing off from hole 10 at 7.51 a.m. this morning, she quickly got the motor running with three birdies over the first seven holes, before conceding a first bogey at 17, lacking aggression in her attack on the green. An error that was soon forgotten when she played a superb shot on hole 1 for her fourth birdie of the day. She would go on to make two more on the 16^th and 18^th holes, returning to the clubhouse as leader, with a fine 66(-5). It’s the best first round she has ever played here… enough for a chance to see her win on Sunday? It’s certainly too soon to say. Whatever happens, the last French victory in a grand slam for men or women goes back to 2003 when Patricia Meunier-Lebouc won the Kraft Nabisco Championship, now The Chevron Championship.

At the end of her round, she told French television: “It’s a positive day. I tried to be a bit more aggressive than usual on my birdie opportunities. Evian is a course which can be intimidating when you’ve never played it before, the fact that I’ve been here several times before helps me with the pressure of playing in France.”

As for Rose Zhang, she went full throttle on her round which started at hole 10 this morning, in the company of Nelly Korda and Minjee Lee. Presented as the future big star of women’s golf, the American, whose name is already on everyone’s lips, kept up the rhythm imposed by her two co-competitors of the day, both former major winners. However, Rose didn’t make it easy for herself. After a perfect start to the round, -2 at the start of her fourth hole, she needed some time to recover her rhythm. A few bogeys here and there until her 13^th hole then four birdies on her final five, her result of 69(-2) demonstrates once again her force of character. Impressive willpower from a player who only turned pro last May. You can read more in her profile on our website.

Snippets of news

- A regular at the top of the leaderboard at leading events, the world number 2 Nelly Korda carded 70(-1). Following a front nine in 2 over par, she recovered well with three birdies on the back nine.

- Four players, including Céline Boutier, defended French colors on the course at the Evian Resort Golf Club. Pauline Roussin and Céline Herbin both shot 73(+2) while Perrine Delacour could not do better than 78(+7).

- Unsurprisingly, Hyo Joo Kim got the job done. She has never missed the cut in eight appearances at Evian, and is on the way to continuing this incredible run. The end of the South Korean’s round was a little bumpy, finishing double bogey-birdie. In the end, she achieved a modest 71(par).

- Two of the first three major winners of the season played par, Allisen Corpuz (US Open) and Lilia Vu (The Chevron Championship). Ruoning Yin (LPGA Championship) is 2 over par.