South Korea’s Jeongeun Lee6 claimed a solo lead after the second round of The Amundi Evian Championship.
The Major winner fired a history-making ten-under-par 61 on day two and heads into the weekend three shots clear of the rest of the field.
It was an error-free round for the 25-year-old who finished in style with four consecutive birdies and sits on 15-under-par for the tournament.
The leader said: “My swing is still not perfect, but I try to focus on one shot at a time and my backswing shape and rhythm. I didn’t dwell on the result, I focused on the process. It was so amazing.”
Thai duo Ariya Jutanugarn and Pajaree Anannarukarn are tied for second place at the halfway mark on 12-under-par.
Jutanugarn finished her day with an eagle on the par-five 18th to shoot the second-best round of the day – an eight-under-par 63.
She commented: “I’m pretty lucky to make an eagle on the last hole. I feel good right now. I like my commitment and feel like I got better today. Every time I’m here I feel like the course is tough, but it’s amazing. My only goal was to make the cut, I made it, so nothing can beat that.”
Anannarukarn, who entered the second round as the overnight leader, repeated her six-under-par 65 from the first day to share second place.
“I played solid golf the first two days and am really happy with it. I stuck to what I played the first round and it worked out today. I think playing as part of a team last week has built a lot of momentum coming into this week. It’s a major week and I’m just really pleased with my game,” said the 22-year-old.
New Zealand’s Lydia Ko and American Yealimi Noh are T4 on nine-under-par, while Japan’s Ayake Future is one shot further back in sixth place.
2021 Race to Costa del Sol leader Atthaya Thitikul is the third Thai golfer in the top ten, as she sits on seven-under-par after carding a 69.
The 18-year-old sensation had a great start to her second round with four birdies on the back nine and three in a row on holes 14 through 16.
She said: “My feeling hitting irons on the range was not that good and I just told myself that it’s another day and I have to be patient with it. Then I hit it close on 14th and rolled it in. I just kept the momentum going on the back nine.”
Thitikul, who has jumped from the 308 to 86 in the Rolex Women’s World Golf Rankings since the start of May, dropped a few shots on the front nine but made sure to add two birdies on the seventh and ninth holes.
She added: “After the bogey and a double bogey I said to myself that it’s okay, it’s in the past. I just kept the momentum going for the par-5s which was a birdie chance for me.”
“Yesterday was a great opening round and today I still shot under par. I am really looking forward for the weekend and just try to keep my ball in a safe place.”
Thitikul sits in T7 alongside Lauren Stephenson, Inbee Park and Hyo-Joo Kim. The cut fell at +1 with 77 players making it through to the weekend.
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