Paula CREAMER - © Philippe Millereau KMSP

“I've been feeling good in my shoes for several years. It's good "said Creamer. “It's good to come back. But no pressure. Don't put me in a bad spot. I just want to have fun and play golf. "

Four players are tied for second at -6: American Brittany Altomare and Koreans Mi Hyang Lee, Inbee Park and Jin Young Ko, who birdied the last four holes. Playing in the penultimate group, Lee struggled on the 18th par-5 trying to make an attempt, but failed to equalize Creamer."I bogeyed on the last hole, so I don't feel very happy, but still happy with 65 under the par with this course," Lee, a two-time LPGA winner, defending champion Angela Stanford started with 76 (+5) and is tied for 102nd.

Adjusted tee times for Friday's second round

With thunderstorms and potentially heavy rain forecast for Saturday afternoon and evening, tee times have been delayed by 30 minutes for the second round. The first departure of the day will be at 7 a.m. Tournament officials want to take every precaution to finish the second round before the end.

Creamer, the Pink Panther of Evian, in good shape

After a long period of personal injuries and struggles, it looks like Paula Creamer's year has finally picked up. The 32-year-old Californian arrived at the Evian Championship after three consecutive top-20s, the first time since the start of 2014. After her 64-bogey-less card on Thursday, she took the lead in a major tournament for the first time since winning the 2010 US Women's Open, her smile was almost as bright as the sun shining above her head.

“I really feel in control. I'm going to hit shots that won't be perfect, but most of the time I know where they're coming from ”said Creamer, who adopted an open putting position in late June and also adopted the AimPoint system. “I haven't really filmed my golf swing for three months. We really work, that's all. We have three or four important things that I work on every day. I think we have a very good system with my team. I am confident and play good golf. When you have control, you feel better when you participate in tournaments with tighter flags, that sort of thing. »

Creamer made his debut at the Evian Resort Golf Club as an LPGA Tour Rookie at 19 and took the course by storm, earning an eight-stroke victory over Lorena Ochoa and Michelle Wie. It's definitely a romantic relationship between Evian and Creamer, which earned him his nickname the Pink Panther thanks to his love for Evian's signature pinkish hue.

“We cannot ignore the landscape. If you are having a bad time, look to your right and you will see the lake ”, commented on Creamer. “But also all that pink. The first time I came I said, “This place was meant for me. I love everything pink. "

Inbee Park draws on her experience to rewrite history

LPGA Hall of Fame member Inbee Park had a 65 (-6) first round, her lowest opening round in the Evian Championship, and is tied for second place, one stroke behind frontman Paula Creamer. Park won the 2012 Evian Masters, becoming the last player to win before the tournament became a Major in 2013, and is missing a Super Grand Slam, awarded to players winning five different LPGA titles.

"Obviously, starting the first day with seven birdies is always a great time," said Park, who with a win would join Karrie Webb as the only LPGA players to complete a Super Grand Slam. “You can do a lot of bogeys here so you have to avoid that for the next three days. I think that will be the strategy: try to avoid the bogeys. "

Evian-les-Bains is a particularly privileged place for Park. According to Park, her victory at Evian in 2012 was the moment when her golfing career took off. She won seven more titles in 2012 and 2013, making her world No. 2013 on the Rolex Rankings in April 59 for XNUMX consecutive weeks.

“This is my 13th year of the game so it's more than likely like I've played this golf course 50 times. I know this course very, very well. This course was an excellent memory for me ”, said the LPGA winner 19 times. “Winning the golf tournament in 2012 really gave me a great start to my golfing career. It's a special tournament for me in my heart, and I think the positive attitude only helps. "

The Solheim Cup in sight for Mel Reid

Mel Reid set the pace early in Thursday's first round, taking advantage of the closing 18th par-5 and finished with a card of 66 (-6) with an eagle. The fiery Englishwoman has been playing with a fiery hand lately, finishing in what she called a 'huge' tie for third at the KPMG Women's PGA Championship after suffering six missed cuts in her first nine starts of the season 2019 LPGA. After changing his house, his coach, his trainer and all his equipment over the past 12 months, Reid is delighted with this new consistency in his game.

“It frees you, that's all. I released my whole year. Released next year ", said Reid of the big finish at KPMG. “I was talking the other day, when you are in the 100 bubble, it sucks because you have to play all the events, you are under pressure in every round, so when you have a good result here it frees you completely. I managed to do it at a big event. I've been waiting for this for a long, long time. I've been breaking my ass for a while. Fortunately, the results are there. "

Now where are Reid's eyes staring? Gain a place in the 2019 Solheim Cup European squad. Reid is a three-time European squad veteran with a combined average of 4-6-2. Gaining another opportunity to wear the blue and yellow European uniform would be a great chance for her and this first round at Evian has placed her in a privileged position to climb the ranks before the team is named in two weeks after the 'Aberdeen Standard Investments Ladies Scottish Open.

“I can't expect anything when you're not on the automatically selected team. We will see. I play really, really well. I feel like I'm swinging well. We will see. Just keep the momentum going. This week is the most important week. "

To know more :www.evianchampionship.com

To read our last article concerning the Evian Championship:

The Evian Championship: a start in the heat wave