Evian Championship 2022: Nelly Korda takes off shoes and plays from water, shoots 64 to sit one off the lead

Nelly Korda played a shot from the water as she got to within one shot of the lead after her first round of the Evian Championship. The American is playing her way into form after an illness and injury-interrupted season, and she made an excellent start to the fourth major of the season. Ad/> Korda made seven birdies in a round of 64 to move within one shot of Ayaka Furue.

Golf'It’s crazy at the moment' — Els says LIV is not real golf but feels it has role to playAN HOUR AGO The world No. 3 found water on the 18th, her ninth, when attempting to reach the green in two. Instead of taking a penalty drop, Korda took off her shoes and socks and entered the water.

Those types of shots often end badly, but Korda somehow advanced the ball to the front of the green and made par. /> “I have never done anything like that,” Korda said. “I must say it is really gross, it is really slimy.” While Korda’s length allows her to devour par fives, her iron play is as good as anyone in the game and she went at the pin on the fifth, her 14th, and it set up a simple birdie.

/> She had the chance to draw level with Furue on her final hole, but leaked her approach to the right and had to settle for a par and a score of seven-under. “I was just making putts," Korda said. «That’s generally what I struggle with the most on this course.

I have figured out where to miss and where to not. »The birdie putts are key around here and they were rolling in today." First Round Leaderboard 1. Ayaka Furue, eight-under T2.

Nelly Korda, seven-under T2. Brooke Henderson, seven-under 4. Cheyenne Knight, six-under T5.

Yuna Nishimura, five-under T5. Perrine Delacour, five-under T5. Charley Hull, five-under T5.