Rough Start for Australian Golfers Kim and Lee at Evian Championship; Japanese Player Leads

Australian golf stars Grace Kim and Minjee Lee faced a challenging opening day at the Evian Championship in France, with both struggling to find their form.

Defending champion Grace Kim, who secured a dramatic victory last year, had a mixed round. After being 2-under at one point, she faltered with a triple-bogey seven on the 12th hole and further dropped shots on the 15th and 18th, finishing at 2-over par 73. This places her in joint 87th position after day one.

“

I was able to have a good focus on my golf and stay committed. ‌I prepared a lot around the green with chipping and putting. I was driving well, but honestly everything was good.

Fellow Australian Minjee Lee, a three-time major champion and the 2021 Evian winner, had an even tougher start. She opened with a 6-over par 77, featuring a double-bogey and a triple-bogey, which may have significantly hampered her chances of contending for the title.

Meanwhile, Japan's Akie Iwai seized the lead, carding an impressive 8-under 63. She holds a two-shot advantage over France's Perrine Delacour. Other Australians in contention include Cassie Porter, tied for 20th at 2-under, followed by Hannah Green and Karis Davidson, both at 1-under.

“

I like driver, so if ‌I'm good and consistent with my driver it helps. I made the good score. I like this course, it's similar to a course in Japan.