​Woad found her range on Friday, finishing with a seven-under-par second round after birdying five of the last eight holes to grab a one-shot lead at the Evian Championship. In the fourth of the women’s season’s five majors, overnight leader Aki Iwai briefly increased her advantage to five strokes, but she ended the day one behind in second place. A second Japanese player, Mao Saigo, and South Korean Ryu Hae-ran, who clinched the PGA this June, were two shots further back, tied for third, with four more players two shots behind them tied for fifth.
American Nelly Korda, who had won the other two women’s majors this season, missed the cut by one stroke after following a three-over first round with a one-under-par 69. Temperatures climbed into the mid-30s again on the shores of Lake Geneva, but Woad kept the ball in play, making three birdies on the outward nine and answering her only bogey, on the 10th, with birdies on the next three holes as she posted a 64. “I hit a lot of fairways and greens, which is definitely the key round here,” she said. “If you get in trouble off the tee it can be pretty difficult, so I’ve just been trying to hit my lines, and know how important that is.”
The 22-year-old Englishwoman was runner-up at Evian last year. “I’ve obviously got nice memories from last year here and I like the golf course, so I think that definitely helps,” she added. Iwai began the day with birdies on the first two holes and had briefly extended her lead to five strokes when she double-bogeyed the sixth. She steadied with three birdies on the back nine before a bogey on the 17th handed Woad the outright lead. Iwai finished with a two-under 69 but took the positives from her round. “Today I gave myself many birdie chances,” she said. “I got five birdies, and then my swing was smooth. Yep, pretty good.”
The day finished with four Japanese women in the top 10. “This course isn’t that long; I think a player who has a good skill could make a very good round,” said Saigo, offering an explanation after her round. As the leaderboard tightened, Woad’s late surge and the steady play from Iwai, Saigo, and Ryu Hae-ran kept Evian buzzing with anticipation for the weekend. The warm conditions and firm greens presented a test of precision and patience, and Woad’s late charge suggested she could become a dominant force as the championship moved toward its final rounds. With Korda floundering and multiple contenders in the mix, the Evian Championship was shaping up to deliver a dramatic chase for the coveted title.