​Reworded: Evian-les-Bains, France (AP) — Nelly Korda, the top-ranked player, saw her attempt to win a third consecutive major and her fifth overall major title halted early when she failed to make the cut after the second round of the Evian Championship on Friday. As Korda scrapped to remain in contention, English golfer Lottie Woad put together a 7-under 64 to seize a one-shot lead over overnight leader Aki Iwai of Japan at the halfway point of the event.
Korda entered the day with a rough start, opening with a 74 on Thursday. Although she shaved two strokes off that in Friday’s play with a 69, her 1-over total left her tied for 67th place, and she missed the cut by a single stroke. This marks Korda’s return to the cut line after she failed to advance at the 2024 Women’s PGA Championship. Despite winning the first two majors this season — the Chevron Championship and the U.S. Women’s Open — she has often found Evian a difficult test, and she has never finished higher than eighth at this event.
Woad’s round featured eight birdies and a single bogey, lifting her to 11-under par overall at the midway point of the fourth of the five women’s majors on the schedule this year. Iwai had led overnight by two strokes ahead of French player Perrine Delacou, who was playing at the lakeside Evian Resort Golf Club. Iwai shot a 69 on Friday, placing her two shots ahead of fellow Japanese player Mao Saigo and South Korean Haeran Ryu, who won the Women’s PGA Championship. Saigo and Ryu both carded 68 on Friday, while Delacou followed with a 71, dropping her into a tie for ninth place.
The Evian Championship continues to unfold as the second major in the calendar year’s quartet of women’s championships, with Woad’s aggressive scoring and Iwai’s steady play setting a dramatic pace through the tournament’s middle stage. Fans and analysts will be watching closely to see whether Korda can regroup in the final rounds and mount a late surge, or if Woad and the Japanese contender will extend their advantage as the field tightens on the scenic Evian Resort layout. AP golf coverage will bring further updates as the event progresses.