Lottie Woad of England carded a 7-under-par 64 on Friday to secure a one-stroke lead after the second round of the Evian Championship in Evian-les-Bains, France.
Woad collected eight birdies against one bogey at the Evian Resort Golf Club to move to 11-under 131 at the fourth of this season’s five majors.
While Woad shot up the leaderboard, World No. 1 Nelly Korda saw her streak of 34 cuts made in official LPGA Tour events come to a halt on Friday. The four-time major winner’s bid for a birdie on the final hole fell inches short, putting her at 2-under 69 on Friday and 1-over 143 for the tournament.
Korda’s last missed cut was the 2024 KPMG Women’s PGA Championship.
Woad caught fire on the back nine, highlighted by a run of birdies on Nos. 11-13 as well as birdies on the par-5 15th and 18th holes.
“Yeah, I think I just kept on giving myself chances. I mean, at the start I hit a lot of good approaches on one and two and didn’t make them,” Woad said. “On the back nine seemed to make most things.”
Woad is one shot ahead of first-round leader Aki Iwai (69 on Friday) of Japan. Iwai recorded five birdies, however a bogey on No. 17 and a double-bogey on the par-4 sixth hole soured her round.
Mao Saigo (68) of Japan benefited from a bogey-free round to join Haeran Ryu (68) of South Korea in third place, three strokes behind Woad.
Thailand’s Jeeno Thitikul tallied an eagle on No. 7 and five birdies to card a 64 on Friday. The nine-time LPGA Tour winner resides in a four-way tie for fifth place at 6-under.
“Like I wanted to hit it on the fairway because I know if I hit on the fairway I might have a chance to go two to the green. Even I have to hit 3-woods,” Thitikul said of her approach on the par-5 seventh hole.
“But like it had a chance, because yesterday I miss by a tad bit to the left so I don’t have a chance to go to the green. So I had like over 40 feet putt and it just luckily went in.”
