Katherine Kirk leads the Australasians after day one
The final of five majors on the LPGA Tour is underway in the magnificent Evian Les Baines in France where the Evian Championship will produce a major champion for the 6th time on Sunday.
The event became a major in 2013 after years as one of, and at times, the most lucrative of LPGA Tour events and for five of the six who became major champions at the Evian Masters this was their first major title.
Early leaders this year are Spain’s Carlotta Ciganda and Puerto Rican rookie, Maria Torres, that pair one ahead of American Austin Ernst.
Canadian Brooke Henderson is next along with Korean So Yeon Ryu and 2018 LPGA Tour breakout player Nasa Hataoka.
Three Australians, Rachel Teske (now Hetherington), Wendy Doolan and Karrie Webb have won the event although none while the event has had major championship status and with Katherine Kirk the only one of the six Australians under par after round one their chances of that stat improving are already under pressure.
Katherine Kirk is well enough placed in 7th position at 2 under par 69 but Perth’s Minjee Lee, who has had such a brilliant season in 2018, was round in 1 over 72, Sarah-Jane Smith 73, Sarah Kemp 74, Hannah Green 77 and Su Oh a surprising 79.
New Zealand’s Lydia Ko, for whom this event became the first of two majors to date, never recovered from a slow start and she is also at 1 over 72 and in a share of 41st place.
With the cut appearing as if it will fall around the 4 over mark tomorrow there is still plenty of hope for the down under brigade but there is much work to do.
