France went unnoticed, but Paula Reto caused a surprise by leading the pack with a score of -7 and two strokes ahead of T2 after the first round of the major at the par-71 Evian course.
Reto serves in the first round of the Evian Championship. Photo: AP
The 2023 Evian Championship kicked off on July 27th. Reto started from hole 10 with a par and then immediately bogeyed. However, after that setback, she took eight birdies to take sole possession of the top spot, at -7 at the end of the first round. Immediately behind Reto was a tie for second place (-5) with four players, including former world number one Lydia Ko and local star Celine Boutier. Defending champion Brooke Henderson was at -2 and tied for 19th, just above Ko Jin Young – the current world number one in women's golf (Rolex Rankings).
In her opening round, Reto averaged 258 yards off the tee, hitting 10 of 13 fairways, reaching regulation on 13 holes, and putting 24 times. She recorded the most birdies in the first round thanks to her high efficiency in finishing.
Reto's impressive performances in Round 1.
Prior to the tournament, Reto was considered an underdog, ranked 81st in the Rolex Women's World Rankings. The South African golfer has been playing professionally since 2013, participating in 181 LPGA Tour events, but has only won one title, the CP Women's Open in Canada in August 2022. This season alone, Reto has been cut eight times across 16 tournaments.
This year's Evian Championship boasts a prize fund of $6.5 million, marking its 10th anniversary and ranking second to last in the annual women's major tournament calendar. Since becoming a prestigious event, the tournament has been held at the resort of the same name in Evian-les-Bains, France, located on the shores of Lake Geneva, near the Swiss border. The current championship points record stands at -21, set by Chun In-Gee in 2016, and no player has successfully defended the title for the past decade.
The women's majors, in addition to the Evian Championship, include the Chevron Championship, the Women's PGA Championship, and the Women's Open in the US and UK.
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