Stephanie Kyriacou, of Australia, plays on the 14th hole during the third round of the Evian Championship women's golf tournament, in Evian, eastern France, Saturday, July 13, 2024.Laurent Cipriani/The Associated Press
Australian Stephanie Kyriacou shot a 4-under 67 to take the third-round lead at the Evian Championship on Saturday at Evian-les-Bains, France.
Kyriacou was one of the players forced to finish the weather-delayed second round of the major on Saturday morning, which she concluded with a 66.
Heading into Sunday’s final round at the Evian Resort Club, she stands at 14-under 199 and carries a one-shot lead over Lauren Coughlin (65 on Saturday) and second-round leader Ayake Furue of Japan (70).
Thailand’s Pajaree Anannarkarn (67) is alone in fourth place at 10-under, while three others are five shots back at 9-under. The group consists of Ally Ewing, who shot a course-low 64 on Saturday, and South Korea’s Hye-Jin Choi (71) and Patty Tavatanakit of Thailand, whose 72 on Saturday dropped her from second place to the fifth-place tie.
Kyriacou opened her round with a bogey, followed by birdies at Nos. 2 through 4. She added four birdies and two bogeys to the round.
Ewing, from Mississippi, played a bogey-free third round that included four birdies in the first five holes.
“I think any time you get an under-par score at a major it feels really good,” she said. “Evian is very unique in terms of our major championships, so you probably see more lower scores here and there here at this golf course.
“But it’s also such a fine line from really good golf to a couple bounces. I had some really fortunate bounces today on a couple shots that led to good birdies. But on a different golf course, they might have ended up in the bunker or something like that.”
For Coughlin, this is her fifth time entered in the Evian Championship and her first time making the cut. She'll be in the final group on Sunday and has her strategy set.
“Just have fun as best I can and try to stay in the moment as best I can as well,” said Coughlin, whose 65 was made up of two eagles, two bogeys and four birdies. “Not try to get too thinking about result or the end and winning, of course.
“I think if I can stay very much here and in the moment, we’ll see.”