​Leaderboard: -8 A. Iwai (Japan); -6 P. Delacour (France); -5 C. Hull (England), M. Stark (Sweden), R. Haeran (Korea), I. Jin Hee (Korea); -4 C. Gainer (England), L. Woad (England), J. Yan (USA), R. Yin (China), B. Henderson (Canada), E. Hara (Japan), M. Kang (Korea). Selected others: E. L. Maguire (Ireland); +2 L. Walsh (Ireland); +3 N. Korda (USA); +5 M. Rhodes (England).
Charley Hull dismissed suggestions that her caddie’s ice cream contributed to her third-place finish after day one at the Evian Championship in southern France. The 30-year-old was seen with a sweet treat at the 15th hole before closing with two birdies and an eagle, finishing the day five under par, three shots behind Japan’s Aki Iwai who led. “I didn’t eat it,” Hull said. “My boyfriend got it for my caddie, so I held it for a minute while he was putting my club in the bag.” In the heat, Hull started two over through six holes but rallied with five birdies across the next 11 holes, then added two on the par-five 18th. Her first-round score of 66 matches her joint-lowest in a major.
At the summit, Iwai posted a bogey-free eight-under 64, two ahead of Perrine Delacour of France. Hull sits in a tie for third with three others, while fellow Britons Lottie Woad and Cara Gainer are one stroke farther back at four under. World No. 1 Nelly Korda, who won the first two majors of the 2026 season, is a few shots off the pace after shooting 74 for three over par, placing her in a share of 102nd.
Hull had previously hinted that her caddie, Adam Woodward, may have been the one who ate the ice cream on the 15th hole, not herself. Hull’s past Evian Championship history includes a withdrawal due to illness during the first round last year; she later revealed she had been battling a virus and was treated at the Evian-les-Bains course without hospitalization.
This year’s opening round was far more fruitful despite the scorching conditions, with Hull noting her preference for heat as it helps her mobility given her injuries. “I like the heat on my back because I have a few injuries,” she explained. “The warmer it is, the more I am able to move.” She added that she stayed hydrated with water and electrolytes, and that she also eats regularly on the course—though she insisted she did not eat the ice cream.
Hull remains determined to secure her first major title. She has finished second three times in five LPGA events, including last month’s U.S. Open, and has accumulated five runner-up finishes at major championships since turning pro in 2012. Her best first-round score at the Evian Championship previously was 66, achieved in 2022 when she tied for third. World No. 1 Nelly Korda has been dominant this season, with four wins including two majors, and was again the favorite to win the Evian Championship as the leaderboard began to take shape.