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Ayaka Furue leads Evian Championship, but world No. 3 Nelly Korda and No. 10 Brooke Henderson are on her heels

Photo by Stuart Franklin/Getty Images

The best players in the women’s game are in France for the Amundi Evian Championship, their fourth of five majors this season and several of the biggest names in the field have already risen to the top.

Ayaka Furue, world No. 31, didn’t get off to a great start Thursday afternoon. After three straight pars to open her round, Furue’s first shape on the scorecard was a square which came at the par-4 13th, her fourth hole of the day. She’d bounce back nicely with four birdies over the last five holes of her outward nine.

The birdies didn’t stop once she made the turn as she added circles on Nos. 2, 3, 6, 7 and the par-5 9th.

The woman Furue was chasing all afternoon was Brooke Henderson, who teed off in the morning wave and got right to work with birdies on Nos. 10 and 11, her first two holes of the day. The remaining seven holes of her front nine were shapeless as she’d turn with a 2-under 34.

Maybe it was a quick snack at the halfway house, but the Canadian came out guns blazing on the second side. Birdies at Nos. 1, 2, 3 and 5 got her to 6 under for the day before trading a bogey on the par-3 8th with an eagle at the par-5 9th.

Henderson has finished inside the top 20 at all three majors so far this season, with her best performance coming at the Chevron in March (T-13).

World No. 3 Nelly Korda said earlier in the week she’s enjoying the record heat wave Europe is currently experiencing, as temperatures are expected to hover in the 90s all week.

“I enjoy playing in this. I would pick this over playing in cold any day. I do not enjoy playing golf in cold weather,” she said on Wednesday. “I actually make my schedule where I play mostly in warm weather…Growing up in Florida I’m so used to playing and practicing in this, so it doesn’t really bother me.”

Well, the sweat-drenched practice sessions paid off for the 23-year-old as she made it look easy around the Evian Resort Golf Club on Thursday.

Birdies on Nos. 12, 13, 15 and 17 sent her out with a 4-under 32. She’d add three more on her back nine, the course’s front nine, for an opening-round bogey-free 7-under 64.

The scorecard could have looked a lot better, too, if she took care of Nos. 7 and 9, both par 5s where she failed to capitalize on birdie bids.

Korda’s highlight of the day was a near ace at the par-3 5th.

The major champion was awarded Best Athlete, Women’s Golf at the ESPYs Wednesday night (Justin Thomas won in the men’s category).

Since returning from surgery on a blood clot in her arm, Korda has three top 10 finishes in four starts including a tie for eighth at the U.S. Women’s Open in June.

Cheyenne Knight sits solo fourth at 6 under, while Jin Young Ko, Lydia Ko, Charley Hull, Yuna Nishimura and Perrine Delacour are T-5 at 5 under.

Friday’s TV and streaming schedule

Golf Channel: 5-7 a.m. ET and 9:30-11:30 a.m. ET
NBC Sports: 7-8 a.m. ET and 11:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m. ET

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