Lottie Woad made a strong start to her bid for a first major title at the Amundi Evian Championship, as Nelly Korda struggled on the opening day in France.
Wood, who finished third in last year’s event as an amateur, posted a final-hole eagle, carding a four-under 67 at Evian Resort Golf Club to stay within four shots of Japan’s Aki Iwai.
Awai posted eight birdies in a bogey-free 63 to take a three-shot clubhouse lead, tied for second with former major champion Mao Saigo and KPMG Women’s PGA Championship winner Hiran Ryu Jin Hye-um.
Wood is joined in the group at four under by former major winners Rongning Yen and Brooke Henderson, while world No. 1 Korda, who could complete the career Grand Slam with a victory, stumbled to an opening-round 74.
former Evian Championship winner Ayaka Fury
Charlie Hill is among the afternoon starters, alongside Lydia Coe and world No. 2 Gino Thetkol, while defending champion Grace Kim, former Evian Championship winner Ayaka Fury, and Celine Bottier are among the later starters.
Korda is struggling while Wood makes a strong start.
Markey, along with Wood, Korda and Reeve, started the morning three-ball on the back nine, birdied the 11th hole and picked up shots on the 15th and 18th to reach the turn in 33.
She combined back-to-back gains from the second to briefly move into the lead but bogeyed her next two holes, with Wood falling further behind when she failed to get up and down from the green at the eighth.
Wood responded by reaching the ninth green in par five and holing a 20-foot eagle putt, lifting him to four under, combining six birdies with a lone bogey in his opening-round 66 with playing partner Reeve to take a shot closer to the lead.
Nellie Korda, playing alongside Wood, has already won the Chevron Championship and the US Women’s Open this season.
“Pleased,” Wood said. “I played well from tee to green for most of the day. I was five under and hitting pretty well, but this golf course can take you places if you miss some fairways, and I finished with a good eagle.
Korda – chasing his third major win of the season – was one under after eight holes, but he dropped five shots in a six-hole stretch around the turn, including a double bogey on the first, before making a final-hole birdie to leave him 11 shots off the early lead.
