Park fires 63, uses fresh start to lead Evian

EVIAN-LES-BAINS, France — Sung Hyun Park took full advantage of a fresh start to the Evian Championship on Friday, firing an 8-under 63 to lead the rescheduled first round by three shots.

That meant a 14-shot turnaround for the No. 3-ranked Park, who had been 6 over through five holes in the rain and wind on Thursday morning. Play was abandoned and all scores wiped from the record, leaving the fifth and final women’s major as a 54-hole event.

The South Korean regrouped and had seven birdies and an eagle to lead by three from Australia’s Katherine Kirk (66).

“I forgot about yesterday and just focused on my play today,” Park said through a translator, acknowledging she was “surprised” that the U.S. LPGA scrapped Thursday’s play.

Tied for third four strokes back were Jessica Korda of the United States and Women’s British Open winner In-Kyung Kim.

Park, the U.S. Women’s Open champion, played in a stellar group with top-ranked So Yeon Ryu (75), her fellow South Korean, and No. 2 Lexi Thompson (70) of the U.S.

Ryu suffered a six-shot swing having been 2 under and sharing the lead with Korda on Thursday when play stopped.

Another player to seize their second chance in the cool sunshine was Ai Miyazato, who is playing her final event before retiring.

Miyazato, the 2009 and 2011 Evian winner before it had major status, was in a cluster of players at 3 under, trailing Park by five. Leishman maintains lead at BMW Championship: Marc Leishman followed his great start with another low score, a 7-under 64 that gave him a three-shot lead over Jason Day and Rickie Fowler going into the weekend at Lake Forest, Ill.

Day made a hole-in-one Friday for his third eagle of the week at Conway Farms in his round of 65. Fowler holed out a chip for eagle on the 14th hole.

Leishman also got in on the act. He turned a tough par into an unlikely birdie on the par-4 seventh hole when he hit into the native grass, chipped out to the fairway and hit a pitch-andrun from 50 yards that he holed for birdie.

Leishman, who opened with a 62, was at 16-under 126.

Defending champion Dustin Johnson struggled again and was 16 shots behind. Stalter leads by 1 at KLM Open: Joel Stalter shot a 4-under 67 to take a onestroke clubhouse lead at Spijk before bad light suspended play with nearly half the field still to complete their second rounds.

Stalter followed up his opening-round 65 to move to 10 under par on Friday and stay in contention for a first victory in his first year on the European Tour. He has already rolled in 14 birdies at The Dutch this week.

Kiradech Aphibarnrat was alone in second place after a 65. Former No. 1 Lee Westwood also shot 65, containing six birdies and was three shots back.