Gemma Dryburgh, Patty Tavatanakit and Ingrid Lindblad share one-shot lead at seven-under-par after day one of Amundi Evian Championship 2024.
The sun shone as the birdies dropped on what was a low scoring first day at the Amundi Evian Championship 2024. With the exception of Gaby Lopez, the fourteen players in the top 10 came from the groups that headed out in the morning.
Setting the pace was Patty Tavatanakit, who was six-under-par after 10 holes. The one-time Major winner, added a final birdie on the par 3 fifth hole and finished with four pars to record a blemish free 64. The Thai player is in a better frame of mind at this year's championship:
"Just a little older and wiser and understand life and ups and downs a little bit better. I feel like that takes time to grow and learn. I feel like I'm more comfortable with my game compared to last year. I still had a lot of good memories from last year, but feel like I played decent not feeling comfortable, so this year it's almost like a freed up feeling."
Lindblad's perfect Major start as a professional
Ingrid Lindblad, who is playing on a sponsor's invite, completed a dream first time Major start as a professional, after turning pro in May. After a slow start with six straight pars, the former Amateur World Number one went on a birdie spree with seven in ten holes, with two final pars to match Tavatanakit's unblemished round.
It is also the first time the Swede has played in the Amundi Evian Championship and she had a game plan that proved very fruitful:
"I said before I tee'd off today, kind of just trust the process and the score will come. So that's kind of what I did today. And if you trust that process, then the score comes, I mean, then yeah, just take advantage of it and keep rolling in some putts."
Watch first round highlights from the Amundi Evian Championship 2024
Making up the trio at the top is Gemma Dryburgh, who also went bogey-free with five birdies on her front nine after teeing off from the 10th at 8:48am local time this morning. The Scot added two more birdies and finished with two pars for a 64.
This is Dryburgh's third appearance at the Major where she is looking to better her eighth place finish last year. She'll be hoping to build on momentum from her first round:
"Actually had a great chance on my first hole, the tenth. Then obviously went three in a row after that. Putting well, kind of just seeing the lines really well. My putting coach, Nick Soto, has been with me this week, so I think the work has kind of paid off. Also struck the ball well. Obviously no dropped shots, so that was nice to do around here. It's not an easy course. Just have some really good memories here last year obviously finishing top 10. Just hoping to keep it going."
The rest of the field
As we all know, we're only one round in and a lot will change over the coming days. There are a group of six players one shot further back at six-under-par - Hye-Jin Choi, Ayaka Furue, Hyo Joo Kim, Lydia Ko, Lauren Coughlin and Gaby Lopez. Five players are at five-under-par, including Anne van Dam and three players on four-under-par. The top 20 is rounded off with three players on three-under-par, with 2018 Amundi Evian Champion Angela Stanford in the mix.
Defending Champion Celine Boutier had a mixed round of five birdies and three bogies and is five shots off the lead. Whilst World Number one Nelly Korda will want to put a double bogey on the par 3 16th behind her as she is also in a good position alongside Boutier.
As well as a lot of birdies, there were two holes-in-one! Taiwanese amateur Chun-Wei Wu aced the 5th hole, whilst England’s Jodi Ewart Shadoff secured herself a Porsche Macan Turbo Electric car by holing her tee shot on the 16th!
“It’s incredible. Porsche has always been my dream car. For me, it was clear right away that I was going for the flag if there’s a Porsche at stake. It’s mind-blowing, a very cool moment. Definitely the best I’ve ever hit. 16 also happens to be my lucky number.”
View the full Amundi Evian Championship leaderboard here.
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