Leona Maguire of Ireland made headlines during the opening round of the Evian Championship in France, achieving a remarkable hole-in-one at the par-three second hole. This accomplishment helped her secure a tie for the lead after carding an impressive score of 65 at the Evian Resort Golf Club, the site of this year’s fourth major event for women.
Starting her round on the back nine, Maguire faced an early setback with a bogey at the par-four tenth hole. However, she quickly regained momentum, netting four birdies over the next eight holes. Her ace at the 164-yard second hole elevated her position on the leaderboard, and she subsequently added another birdie at the par-five seventh to finish at six under par, sharing the lead with Jennifer Kupcho, Andrea Lee, Grace Kim, and Gabriela Ruffels.
A shot back, Minjee Lee, the winner of the KPMG Women’s PGA Championship, is currently in sixth place, while defending champion Ayaka Furue and world number one Nelly Korda are two strokes behind after both carded rounds of 67. Jeeno Thitikul, who could potentially overtake Korda as the world’s top-ranked player this week, and 2023 champion Celine Boutier are three shots off the lead. Notably, Lydia Ko and Solheim Cup captain Anna Nordqvist struggled during their opening rounds, each finishing with 73.
In a concerning turn of events, Charley Hull had to withdraw mid-round due to a virus. She was in contention at one under when she collapsed and had to be transported off the course.
Maguire reflected on her impressive performance, stating, “Just played really nice. Hit a lot of fairways. Gave myself some really good chances… the hole-in-one on two was pretty special. I think my first one on the LPGA Tour, so a nice place to do it.”
With the championship still in its early stages, the excitement builds as competitors continue to vie for the title. The event promises thrilling golf, and viewers can follow the action live on Sky Sports.