Three in tie for lead at Evian Masters

WOMEN'S GOLF:KAREN STUPPLES and Shin-Ae Ahn took advantage of a late collapse from Maria Hjorth to make it a three-way tie at the top of the leaderboard after day one of the Evian Masters in France.

Hjorth was looking a class apart as a birdie on the par-three 14th sent her to eight under par. But bogies on the final three holes opened the door for Ahn and Stupples.

Ahn birdied the 15th, 17th and 18th, while Stupples had three straight birdies on the final three holes. Stupples completed the back nine in six-under-par 30, recovering from a bogey on the sixth and a double-bogey on the par-five ninth.

The trio sat in front of a six-way tie for fourth-place, with Shanshan Feng, Miki Saiki, Cristie Kerr, Brittany Lincicome, Ai Miyazato and Ritsuko Ryu all one shot back. Saiki and Ryu had bogeys at the 18th to miss out on a share of top spot. Stupples and Hjorth had to contend with changeable weather and frequent heavy showers in the worst of the conditions in the morning. Stupples said: “Obviously the weather was pretty grim to start with. I think it took a while to get used to that.”

The 2004 Women’s British Open champion went to the turn in one over 37 after taking a double bogey seven at the ninth hole, but she struck back with six birdies on the back nine.

Stupples, who bases herself in Orlando, revealed the course was playing longer and softer than in previous years and preferred lies were in place up to one club length. “The rain has made the greens a bit like dart boards, so you can fire at the pins,” admitted the three-time tournament winner. “And even though some of them were cut pretty close to the edges, you could still have a good crack at them.”

Hjorth played best in the heaviest rainfall. The 37-year-old Swede grabbed five birdies on the front nine with some silky putting and picked up further shots at the 11th and 12th, but finished with three straight bogeys. She felt that long-hitting and only 26 putts were the keys to her solid round.