Saso struggles with 71, trails leaders by 7 in Evian Championship

MANILA, Philippines – Yuka Saso started strong on the back nine but faced challenges on the last nine holes, finishing with a 71 after a birdie on No. 9, leaving her trailing the leading trio of Patty Tavatanakit, Ingrid Lindblad and Gemma Dryburgh after the first round of the Evian Championship in Evian-les-Bains, France Thursday (Friday Manila time).

Playing alongside Nelly Korda and Amy Yang, Saso fell short in the marquee matchup of this year’s major winners. Korda and Yang both shot 69s to tie for 21st, while Saso, the recent US Women’s Open champion, ended the day at joint 52nd, just above the projected cutoff line.

Saso started the round with a bogey on No. 10 at the par-71 Evian Resort Golf Club but quickly recovered with birdies on Nos. 11, 15, and 16. However, after parring the first two holes on the front nine, she lost her momentum, dropping three consecutive strokes from No. 3 to finish one-over. 

A birdie on the par-5 ninth allowed her to post an even-par round, but she remains far behind the three leaders, who each shot 64s in the morning wave of starters in the $8 million event, the season’s fourth major championship.

Tavatanakit, aiming for her second major title, Lindblad, the former World No. 1 amateur, and Dryburgh delivered solid rounds to take a one-shot lead over six others, setting the stage for an intense competition in the coming days.

Ayaka Furue also posted a bogey-free round of 65, joining the group of six-under-par scorers, which includes Lydia Ko, Hyo Joo Kim, Hye-Jin Choi, Lauren Coughlin and Gaby Lopez.

Korda, seeking to rebound from a series of missed cuts after five consecutive victories, carded six birdies but also made two bogeys and a double bogey for a 35-34 round, while Yang recorded five birdies against three bogeys to stay in the early mix.

Saso, with an average driving distance of 267 yards, struggled off the tee, hitting only seven fairways. She also had difficulties with her irons, missing eight greens, but managed to finish with 28 putts.