Grace Kim sits just one shot behind leader Somi Lee after firing a tidy 3-under 68 in the second round at the Amundi Evian Championship overnight, positioning herself for a weekend run at a maiden major championship crown.
The 24-year-old Australian bounced back impressively from her only bogey of the week, which came early at the par-3 second, clawing it back with a birdie at the par-5 fourth before adding three more birdies at holes 11, 13, and 18 to reach 9-under par for the tournament.
“The rookie year that I played out here (2023), I had like 9-over and I cried,” Kim admitted when asked about her difficult debut at Evian, where she shot 80 in the second round to miss the cut.
“But I can definitely see now how much it is worth, that learning experience. The last two years I’ve played it was definitely a learning experience.”
Kim’s maturity has been evident through two rounds; the Avondale Golf Club represntative has missed just two fairways and hit 28 of 36 greens in regulation. to show how she is growing confidence at the Evian Resort Golf Club.
“For someone to dominate this course and capitalise on it, you have to know how this course is going to bite at you,” Kim explained. “It is very nice to know that I’ve put together two good rounds. I feel like now I can comfortably play the course and know what the ball is going to do and how it’s going to bounce. Course management has been definitely a key factor this week.”
Kim will play in the final group on Saturday alongside leader Somi Lee, who won the NSW Amateur Championship in 2017 at Terry Hills, and American Jennifer Kupcho after Lee fired a brilliant 65 to take the lead at 10-under par.
Good friend and former amateur teammate Stephanie Kyriacou is confident Kim has the temperament to handle the pressure of playing in the last group of a major championship.
“I think she’ll handle it well,” said Kyriacou, who grew up in Sydney playing both against and alongside Kim in Golf NSW representative teams. “She’s been in contention plenty of times before. She has won out here. Obviously it’s a bit different in a major. Your emotions are different. I think she can handle it well.”
Kyriacou believes Kim’s demeanour and consistent style of play is well suited to making a deep run at Evian, where the Australian has shown marked improvement since her tearful debut two years ago.
In 13 major championship starts, Kim’s best result remains a tie for 13th at the 2023 US Women’s Open, while she was tied for 51st at Evian 12 months ago. Now, she finds herself in prime position to challenge for her first major title.
Other Aussie Performances:
Kyriacou herself bounced back with a solid 3-under 68 to work her way inside the top 20 after being the 2024 runner-up at this event.
An even-par 71 sees Gabriela Ruffels enter the weekend in a tie for seventh, while Minjee Lee recovered from a horror start to post 71 and sit in a tie for 12th.
Lee, who recorded the first of her three major wins at Evian four years ago, looked a long way from the most recent winner of a women’s major championship to start day two. The KPMG Women’s PGA winner began her round with three straight bogeys and then made double-bogey at the par-4 sixth to drop back to even par for the tournament.
However, the 29-year-old’s response was swift and significant. She birdied the par 5s at seven and nine to turn in 3-over and then made four back-nine birdies to end the day within five strokes of the lead.
West Australian Hira Naveed birdied her final hole on Friday to guarantee more golf on the weekend, the second time in succession she has made the cut in a major.
Aussie Scores after rd2:
2 Grace Kim -9
T7 Gabriela Ruffels -6
T12 Minjee Lee -5
T18 Stephanie Kyriacou -4
T44 Hira Naveed E
MC Robyn Choi +3
MC Karis Davidson +4
MC Hannah Green +8
MC Cassie Porter +10
