Korda misses cut at Evian Championship and Woad takes second round lead
Korda’s Major Bid Ends Early
Nelly Korda, the top-ranked golfer, missed the cut at the Evian Championship after the second round on Friday, ending her pursuit of a third consecutive major title this season. Korda’s overall bid for a fifth major championship also concluded prematurely at the event in Evian-les-Bains, France.
Korda’s performance on Thursday saw her post a score of 74. Although she improved in the second round with a 69, her combined total of 1-over placed her in a tie for 67th. This meant she missed the cut by a single stroke. Her last missed cut occurred at the 2024 Women’s PGA Championship.
Despite her recent struggles at Evian, Korda had a strong start to the season, winning the first two majors: the Chevron Championship and the U.S. Women’s Open. Historically, Korda has found it challenging to perform at her best at the Evian Championship, where her highest finish has been eighth place.
Woad Secures Second-Round Lead
While Korda was working to remain in the tournament, English golfer Lottie Woad delivered a strong performance, carding a 7-under 64. This impressive round propelled her into a one-stroke lead at the midway point of the tournament, which is the fourth of the five women’s majors scheduled for this year.
Woad’s round was highlighted by eight birdies and only one bogey, bringing her overall score to 11-under. She attributed her success to consistent ball striking, stating that hitting fairways and greens is crucial on this course. Woad also noted that her driver was performing well, allowing her to set up wedge shots and create scoring opportunities.
Japan’s Aki Iwai, who held a two-stroke lead after the first round, finished her second round with a 69. Iwai’s first-round score was an 8-under 63, achieved with eight birdies and no dropped shots. Her strong start had positioned her two shots ahead of France’s Perrine Delacour.
Iwai’s initial lead came after she birdied three of her final four holes in the first round, including the par-5 18th. Delacour’s first round included an eagle on the par-5 15th, though she also recorded a couple of bogeys later in her round.
Other Notable Performances
Following the second round, Iwai was two shots ahead of her compatriot Mao Saigo and South Korea’s Haeran Ryu, the winner of the Women’s PGA Championship. Both Saigo and Ryu recorded scores of 68 on Friday.
In the first round, Ryu was part of a group of five players who shot 5-under 66. This group also included world No. 5 Charley Hull, who had been a guest in the Royal Box at Wimbledon earlier in the week. Hull recovered from two early bogeys to finish her first round strongly, including an eagle on the par-5 18th.
Canada’s Brooke Henderson, from Smiths Falls, Ont., also had a notable first round, carding an eagle on her final hole to be part of a group at 4-under. The Evian Championship has been designated as the fifth women’s major since its 2013 edition and features a prize money fund of $9.1 million.
The first round also saw struggles for other players, including Celine Boutier, the 2023 champion at Evian. Boutier started her round with a triple bogey 7 on the first hole and later recorded back-to-back double bogey 6s on holes 10 and 11, ultimately finishing with a 5-over 76, despite a birdie on the 18th.
Source: sportsnet.ca
