Lottie Ward made five birdies in the final eight holes to take full lead in the Evian Championship with a 7-under 64.
The 22-year-old entered the day at 3 under at the French venue where she earned her LPGA Tour card a year ago and decided to turn pro, but her first bogey on No. 10 helped her move up to 11 under, one under ahead of first-round leader Aki Iwai.
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“I hit a lot of fairways and greens, and that’s definitely the key. If you have trouble off the tee, it’s going to be pretty tough,” Ward said. “My driver is working well. My tee shot is very good. That’s going to give me a lot of wedges and opportunities.”
Fellow British woman Charlie Hull, also aiming for her first major victory, shot a 70 to put herself five spots behind tied for fifth place at six under.
Nelly Korda missed out on France (Getty)
However, world No. 1 Nelly Korda, who has already won two majors this year, missed a birdie putt in the final stage when he could have qualified for the weekend, missing out on qualifying for the first time in two years and signing with a total of 1-over 69.
P.A.
