Charley Hull eight adrift as In Gee Chun leads Evian Championship

In Gee Chun fired a bogey-free 63 to hold a share of the lead after the opening round of the Evian Championship, where Charley Hull was left to rue a disappointing finish to her round.

In Gee Chun fired a bogey-free 63 to hold a share of the lead after the opening round of the Evian Championship, where Charley Hull was left to rue a disappointing finish to her round.

Last year's US Open champion fired six birdies after the turn to hold a three-shot cushion over the morning starters at Evian Resort, only to see her total matched late in the day by Korean compatriot Sung Hyun Park.

Olympic bronze medallist Shanshan Feng and America's Annie Park are their closest challengers on seven under, while Charley Hull stuttered to a level-par 71 after dropping four shots over the closing stretch.

Beginning on the back nine, Chun posted gains at the 11th and 13th to reach the turn in 34 before surging up the leaderboard with three gains in a four-hole stretch.

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The world No 7 followed back-to-back gains from the sixth by picking up another stroke at the ninth, while Park later joined her at the top by birdieing six of her final 10 holes.

"Before the round I felt really nervous today and it was windy and there was a thunderstorm this morning, so I tried to focus more on my game," Chun said.

"I could see the putting lines very well and I was so good rolling the ball on those lines."

Angela Stanford sits in fourth spot after posting a first-round 65, with So Yeon Ryu enjoying a bogey-free round to jo Eun-Hee Ji a further stroke back.

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"If I have to be picky, my putting was not great enough compared to the rest of my game," Ryu said. "I had a lot of great birdie chances within 10 feet but I couldn't even make 50 per cent of them, so if I can drop more putts, I can expect to make more birdies the next three days."

Charley Hull was briefly up in to fourth spot after birdieing four of her opening 13 holes, but found water on her way to a triple-bogey at the 16th and dropped another shot late on to slip eight strokes off the pace.

Ladies European Tour Order of Merit leader Beth Allen got off to a terrible start with a quadruple-bogey eight at the first and eventually finished six over, while nearest rival in the rankings Catriona Matthew shot a 73 to leave the Scot two over.

Watch the Evian Championship live on Friday from 10am on Sky Sports 5 and Sky Sports Mix