Photo Credit: tribtown.com
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The 2026 Amundi Evian Championship opened with plenty of excitement and several surprising storylines at Evian Resort Golf Club in Evian-les-Bains, France. As the LPGA Tour’s fourth major championship of the season, the event features a 132-player field competing for a $9.1 million purse. While many expected world No. 1 Nelly Korda to dominate the headlines, Japan’s Aki Iwai stole the spotlight with a brilliant opening round. Iwai fired a flawless 8-under 63 to grab a three-shot lead after the first round. She never dropped a shot and needed only 27 putts during her impressive performance. The Japanese star, who recently shortened her first name by dropping the “e” from Akie, played confidently from start to finish. Her bogey-free round immediately established her as the player to beat heading into Friday.
France’s Perrine Delacour thrilled the home crowd by shooting a career-defining 6-under 65. The 32-year-old mixed six birdies with an eagle while using just 26 putts. She birdied her final hole, the par-5 ninth, to finish alone in second place. Delacour entered the week ranked No. 116 in the Rolex Women’s World Golf Rankings and still seeks her first LPGA victory. Nevertheless, she already owns three top 25 finishes this season, including a tie for 24th at the KPMG Women’s PGA Championship. Five players shared third place after posting 5-under 66s. That impressive group included Maja Stark, Charley Hull, Jin Hee Im, Mao Saigo and reigning KPMG Women’s PGA champion Haeran Ryu. Their strong opening rounds kept them within striking distance of Iwai’s lead entering the second round.
Hull produced one of Thursday’s most entertaining rounds. She stood 2 over after seven holes before completely changing her momentum. First, she birdied the eighth and ninth holes. Then she added birdies on Nos. 13, 15 and 16. Finally, she capped her day with an eagle on the par-5 18th for a spectacular 66. After the round, Hull joked that her caddie’s ice cream cone deserved some credit for the turnaround. Earlier in the day, cameras caught her carrying the cone down the 15th fairway. The ice cream actually belonged to caddie Adam Woodward, who recently visited the Royal Box at Wimbledon. Hull laughed about the moment before continuing her outstanding finish.
Meanwhile, Haeran Ryu continued the outstanding form that earned her first major championship at Hazeltine. The South Korean remained near the top of the leaderboard throughout the day before signing for a 5-under 66. Consequently, she enters the second round with plenty of confidence as she chases consecutive major championships. Hannah Green also delivered one of the day’s best comeback stories. The Australian struggled early and reached 4 over through her first seven holes. However, she refused to let the difficult start define her round. Instead, Green responded with five birdies over her remaining holes to finish with a 1-under 70. Although she trails Iwai by seven shots, her recovery kept her firmly in contention.
Former Evian champion Lydia Ko quietly positioned herself near the leaders as well. The New Zealander produced one of the day’s most memorable shots by hitting driver off the fairway on the par-5 ninth. The aggressive shot found the green in two and set up an easy birdie. Ko, who won the Evian Championship in 2015, continued to show why experience matters at this demanding venue. On the other hand, hometown favorite Celine Boutier endured a nightmare opening round. The only Frenchwoman to win the Evian Championship started with a triple bogey before adding consecutive double bogeys on the 10th and 11th holes. Her disastrous beginning left her 6 over through 11 holes and well behind the leaders despite entering the tournament with momentum following her ShopRite LPGA Classic victory earlier this season.
England’s Lottie Woad also experienced an eventful round. Last year’s runner-up reached 5 under through her first 12 holes before stumbling with three dropped shots. Nevertheless, Woad refused to fade away. She closed with an eagle on the par-5 ninth to finish with a solid 4-under 67. That late surge kept one of the LPGA’s brightest young stars within striking distance of the leaders. Amateur Farah O’Keefe continued her impressive season by opening with a 3-under 68. The reigning NCAA champion from the University of Texas recorded six birdies despite an up-and-down day. O’Keefe currently owns 16 points in the LPGA Elite Amateur Pathway program. A made cut this week adds one point, while a top-25 finish earns two. She needs 20 total points to secure LPGA membership.
Unfortunately for Korda, Thursday brought more frustration than celebration. The world No. 1 entered France with an opportunity to complete the career Grand Slam while also earning enough points for the LPGA Hall of Fame. Instead, she struggled throughout the opening round and posted a 3-over 74. Korda hit 11 fairways and 13 greens in regulation but never found consistent rhythm on the greens. She required 34 putts and managed only two birdies. One of those birdies came on her final hole, the par-5 ninth. However, three bogeys and a costly double bogey on the par-4 first hole left her tied for 100th after the opening round. Earlier during the day, she reached 4 over through 14 holes before recovering slightly over the closing stretch.
The first-round leaderboard already produced several unexpected developments. Iwai established herself as the early favorite with a spectacular 63. Delacour delighted French fans with a memorable 65, while Hull, Ryu and several other contenders stayed close behind. Meanwhile, Korda now faces an uphill climb if she hopes to keep her Grand Slam and Hall of Fame dreams alive this week. With three rounds remaining, however, the Evian Championship still promises plenty of drama before a champion lifts the trophy on Sunday.
Author Profile
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Bradley Walker serves as the Director of Operations for NGSC Sports, bringing extensive experience across collegiate, professional, and amateur athletics. His coverage spans USF Athletics, including football, baseball, lacrosse, and softball, as well as University of Tampa baseball.
Bradley also provides coverage of minor league baseball with the Clearwater Threshers and Major League Baseball with the Tampa Bay Rays. On the national stage, he covers college football bowl games and conference championship matchups, along with premier golf events across the PGA Tour, LIV Golf, and LPGA Tour.
In addition to his reporting work, Bradley is the play-by-play announcer for Pinellas Park High School Patriots football, lending his voice and insight to Friday night lights.
He is also an active podcast host and contributor, serving as a co-host on the P&W Sports Report and hosting The Walker Report, where he delivers in-depth sports analysis, interviews, and coverage across multiple levels of competition.
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