Evian Championship: Charley Hull, Lottie Woad make strong starts as world No 1 Nelly Korda struggles on opening day

Charley Hull and Lottie Woad made strong starts to their bids for a maiden major title at the Amundi Evian Championship, as Nelly Korda struggled on the opening day in France.

Hull fired an eagle and three birdies over her final six holes to post a five-under 66 at the Evian Resort Golf Club, jumping her to tied-third and within three shots of Japan's Aki Iwai.

Iwai sits two shots clear of France's Perrine Delacour after posting eight birdies in a bogey-free 63, with Hull joined on five under by KPMG Women's PGA Championship winner Haeran Ryu, Maja Stark, Mao Saigo and Jin Hee Im.

• Evian Championship leaderboard and other scores
• LPGA Tour: Latest news, reports and highlights
• When are the majors? Key dates, results in 2026
• Get Sky Sports or stream golf with no contract

Woad, who finished tied-third in last year's event while still an amateur, posted a final-hole eagle to card a four-under 67 and sit four back alongside compatriot Cara Gainer, with former major winners Ruoning Yin and Brooke Henderson also on the same total.

Defending champion Grace Kim triple-bogeyed the par-four 12th on her way to a two-over 73, as world No 1 Korda - who can complete a career Grand Slam with a victory - stuttered to an opening-round 74.

Korda struggles as Woad makes fast start

Woad, starting on the back nine in the marquee morning threeball alongside Korda and Ryu, birdied the 11th hole and picked up shots on the par-five 15th and 18th to reach the turn in 33.

She added back-to-back gains from the second to briefly move tied for the lead but bogeyed her next two holes, with Woad falling further behind when she failed to get up and down from off the green at the par-three eighth.

Woad responded by reaching the par-five ninth green in two and holing a 20-foot eagle, lifting her to four under, with playing partner Ryu a shot closer to the lead after mixing six birdies with a lone bogey in her opening-round 66.

"Pretty happy," Woad said. "I played good from tee to green for most of the day. I was five under and was going along quite nicely, then this golf course can get you in places if you miss a few fairways. Dropped a few [shots], but a nice eagle to finish."

Please use Chrome browser for a more accessible video player

Korda - chasing a third major win of the season - was one under after eight holes before dropping five shots in a six-hole stretch around the turn, including a double-bogey at the first, with the American 11 shots off the early lead despite a final-hole birdie.

Hull makes big finish as Iwai leads

Iwai birdied five of her last eight holes to grab the clubhouse lead, with Im her closest challenger after six birdies in a nine-hole stretch before bogeying the final hole of her opening-round 66.

Delacour impressed on home soil, firing an eagle, six birdies and two bogeys to move to six under, while Hull recovered from bogeying two of her first six holes to jump within three of the lead.

Hull was still level-par until she followed a birdie at the 13th with back-to-back gains from the 15th, having been fuelled by a mid-round ice cream, before closing her impressive back nine with a 15-foot eagle.

"I was like 'wow, golf is really frustrating'", Hull admitted after her round. "I believed in myself and relaxed out there, took my time and took advantage of the birdies."

Who will win the Evian Championship? Coverage continues on Friday 11am on Sky Sports+, before starting at 9am over the weekend on Sky Sports Golf. Get Sky Sports or stream golf with no contract.