Ko makes good start to latest major

Lydia Ko.
Photo: Photosport

Former champion Lydia Ko has made a good start to the fourth major of the year, the Evian Championship in France.

South Africa’s Paula Reto shot an opening round seven-under par 64 to build a two-shot lead over four players including Ko.

World number three Ko carded a bogey-free 66 to ensure she is well placed before round two at Evian-les-Bains.

Ko is alongside American Alison Lee, Thailand’s Wichanee Meechai and Frenchwoman Celine Boutier.

Ko became the youngest winner of a women’s major when she clinched the Evian Championship aged 18 in 2015.

“It certainly wasn’t easy today,” the 26-year-old said.

“I was scrambling to make pars on the front nine, but I was good at getting out of trouble.

“Sometime par saves are the momentum to start making some birdies and it was nice to make a few on the back nine and finish off with one at the last.

“Hopefully, it will not be such a shaky start tomorrow.”

Reto carded eight birdies to easily offset her lone bogey, which came on her second hole of the day at Evian Resort Golf Club.

“This golf course is so fun and the views and everything, it’s just awesome to be here,” Reto said. “… You never know out here with this golf course. Anything is possible. You just got to give yourself the best opportunity to make par and birdie.”

Defending champion Brooke Henderson of Canada shot a 2-under 69 and is in a large group tied for 19th that also includes LPGA Tour rookie star Rose Zhang and Sweden’s Linn Grant, who won the Dana Open two weeks ago.

Current World No. 1 Jin Young Ko of South Korea and second-ranked Nelly Korda are six shots off Reto’s lead after opening with 1-under 70s.

The Evian Championship is the fourth of five women’s majors of the year.

Lydia Ko won the Evian Championship in 2015 and put together a clean scorecard on Thursday that included five birdies and no dropped shots.

The world’s third-ranked player entered the week with modest expectations as Ko hasn’t posted a top-30 finish in her past nine starts on the LPGA Tour. That includes a T65 in her most recent start at the Dana Open.

“I’ve played this golf course with some of the best ball striking, some of my worst ball striking, and I think because of that, I feel like I’ve played it in a lot of different spots here,” Ko said.

“I think the longer you play at a golf course you realize like you make so many different memories, whether it’s good or bad, and I think I try and draw on the good memories.”

-Reuters/BBC