Ayaka Furue of Japan completed a round of six-under-par 65 under sunny skies at Evian Resort Golf Club on Saturday morning to post a 36-hole total of 130, 12-under-par and lead the Amundi Evian Championship. The 24-year-old from Kobe, who won the 2022 Trust Golf Women’s Scottish Open, holds a two-stroke lead over Australian Stephanie Kyriacou and Patty Tavatanakit of Thailand, who finished rounds of 66 and 68 respectively early on Saturday. Hye-Jin Choi is fourth on nine-under-par, with Sweden’s Ingrid Lindblad in fifth on eight-under-par.
Furue, who describes herself as very shy, but wears bright luminous clothing, said after her second consecutive 65: “I had a bogey-free round today because my shots were really perfect for me. Then I got closer to the hole, so that was why I could have a bogey-free round.”
Speaking about the overnight suspension and resumption of the second round on Saturday, she added: “I was a little bit lucky because I felt before the delay that my shots were not that good. Like my tee shots were not that good, so I could just be fresh and then come back here today, this morning.”
Tied for second, Tavatanakit and Kyriacou both said that they were going to have a nap before their third round, with them both due to tee off with Furue in the final group at 1.16pm.
“It was definitely a little bit colder that morning after all the storms, but I mean, same mindset and game plan. Nothing really changed in that respect. I only had a hole and a half to play so I’m excited for a nap now,” said the 2019 Bonville Australian Women’s Classic winner.
On her second round, Tavatanakit added: “I started off really slow. Feel like I just kept telling myself to stay patient and hung in there which I did. I hit my irons good all day, I meant all round, ever since like the front nine. Just putts were lipping out. I think I had five or six lip-outs this round, which is a good sign. I take that as a positive.
“I’m always so grateful for those opportunities to look forward to the next shot and keep executing, and hopefully putts will go in and they did on the back nine.”
“I’m probably going to take a nap, and maybe if I can’t nap I’ll probably read a little bit and probably chill and not think about it too much.”
Amongst the LET members who made the cut, Gemma Dryburgh chipped in for a birdie on 18 to get to seven-under-par, in a tie for sixth place. Esther Henseleit, Georgia Hall and Anne van Dam ended round two in a six-way tie for 10th place.
Albane Valenzuela and Celine Boutier were tied for 16th, with Linn Grant and Madelene Sagstrom in equal 28th. Maja Stark was part of a group in a tie for 35th, while Marta Martin was part of a group sharing 44th with Aditi Ashok, Chiara Tamburlini and Emily Kristine Pedersen, as well as the Rolex Rankings No.1 Nelly Korda. Perrine Delacour and Anna Nordqvist were tied for 56th, just inside the cut line at 143, level par.
