Ashleigh Buhai dropped just a single shot on Thursday in the opening round of the Amundi Evian Championship on her way to a three-under-par 68 for a share of 19th at the Evian Resort Golf Club, in Evian-les-Bains in Haute-Savoie, France.
Buhai closed with a pair of successive birdies on 17 and 18 to find herself five shots off the lead held by Akaya Furue of Japan, who made nine birdies and a bogey on her way to an opening 63. That gave her a one-stroke lead over Canada’s Brooke Henderson and Nelly Korda of the United States, with Cheyenne Knight at six-under in fourth.
Buhai picked up a birdie on the second hole to get her round off to a good start, and dropped a shot on the par-four fourth. But there wasn’t another misstep on her way in as she birdied the fifth and then made her closing run.
There are two other South Africans in the field: Paula Reto signed for an opening level-par 71 with three birdies and three bogeys, while Lee-Anne Pace had two birdies and four bogeys in her opening two-over 73.
Said Furue of her round: “I had good rhythm. I hit it close a lot. My putting was very good also today.”
Of the Ladies European Tour players, England’s Charley Hull is three strokes off the pace at five-under in a share of fifth.
The next best placed LET members are Nanna Koerstz Madsen of Denmark, Spain’s Carlota Ciganda and Swedish pair Anna Nordqvist and Linn Grant in a tie for 10th position on four-under-par.
