Lottie Woad picked up where she left off at last year’s Amundi Evian Championship with an opening round of 67 (-4) at Evian Resort Golf Club.
The English star, who began her first round on the 10th tee, made birdies on the 11th, 15th and 18th holes.
She added further birdies on the second and third before a trio of bogeys on four, five and eight; however, she finished in style with an eagle at nine to seal her four-under.
“I played pretty solid,” she said. “I was in the fairway a lot and hit a lot of greens and was five-under early on and then there are a few tricky holes on the front nine that I played, so I dropped a few there, but it was a nice finish with the eagle to get it back to four-under.
“I had a nice shot into two to about six feet. It was tracking for a little bit, so it was a nice shot there. On that front nine I think I played really solid tee to green. I didn’t make as many putts as I would like to on the front nine, but I think I made a good birdie on 18. I got up-and-down out of that bunker, and just to wrap up that back nine with three-under which was nice.”
Woad is back at the tournament and venue where she secured her LPGA Tour card and decided to turn professional in 2025.
Heading into the 2025 Amundi Evian Championship, the English star had won the KPMG Women’s Irish Open on the Ladies European Tour (LET) as an amateur the week prior.
She then came to Evian Resort Golf Club still an amateur where she finished in a share of third place missing out on the playoff by just one shot.
However, she had achieved her target of securing her final LEAP point needed to secure LPGA Tour card, she took up immediate membership and turned professional.
Having played on the LPGA Tour for the majority of the past year, it’s the first time the English star has returned to a venue.
She explained: “It’s just nice coming somewhere that you’re more familiar with. I probably still played this one of the least out of most people playing with it being here every year, but this year so far every course I’ve been to has been new. Even just the practice days, it’s nice to just kind of turn up and already know where the holes go. It just makes you feel a little bit more comfortable.”
This is the fourth Major championship of the year with a field of 132 players competing for a prize fund of $9.1 million USD.
Two-time LET winner Woad always enjoys playing in the big events and is relishing the challenge Evian provides.
She added: “Majors are fun. They’re the ones that you set out to do well in with your goals. The courses we play are always great as well. We usually play at some pretty iconic places, so I just enjoy that. Sometimes they’re tricky courses, too, so I just enjoy the challenge.
“Tomorrow is definitely going to be firmer, I would say, in the afternoon. I could see that throughout the round today. Just in contrast to Monday, it was super soft and I can tell that it’s firming up. I think there will be a few pins you probably can’t go at, but there are par-5s that you can definitely attack.”
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