Lottie Woad turned a second-round 64 into the lead at the Evian Championship on Friday, moving to 11 under and taking control of the major by one stroke. Nelly Korda, the world number one, went the other way, finishing at one over and missing the cut despite a 69.
That left Woad, 22, with the sort of position she came to France hoping to find. She arrived ranked fourth in the world and with memory of finishing tied for third at the event in 2025, but this time she carried the pace with eight birdies and only one dropped shot, at the par-four 10th. She answered that bogey with three straight birdies, then nearly holed out for eagle at the par-five 18th before settling for a four.
Woad's round mattered because it came in the middle of a major sorting-out day. Aki Iwai had led overnight before dropping to second, one shot back, while Mao Saigo and Haeran Ryu sat two strokes behind. Charley Hull and Jeeno Thitikul were among four players tied for fifth at six under, still close enough to pressure the leader if the pace slips over the weekend.
The bigger break from expectation was below the cut line. Korda's 69 was not enough to save her, and her exit ended her first LPGA missed cut since June 2024. Allisen Corpuz, Lilia Vu, Carlota Ciganda, Celine Boutier and Leona Maguire also failed to advance, leaving the field trimmed before the weekend rounds began. For Woad, the task now is simpler to describe and harder to do: protect a lead against players who know exactly how fast a major can turn.
