With just 18 holes left to play, the Amundi Evian Championship is shaping up to be a thrilling contest for the fourth major title of the LPGA Tour season.
Leading the charge is 23-year-old Stephanie Kyriacou, who has seized the top spot on the leaderboard with a score of -14 after three rounds.
This marks the first time Kyriacou has led after 54 holes in her burgeoning LPGA Tour career.
The Australian sensation, who turned heads on the Ladies European Tour in 2020 by winning the Australian Ladies Classic Bonville as an amateur before turning professional just two days later, posted a stunning 4-under 67.
This performance earned her a new career-low 54-hole score of 199 and a coveted place in the final group of a major championship for the first time.
Reflecting on her position, Kyriacou shared, “I think this is a different kind of nerves.
When you’re near the cut line, you really want to make the cut. This is different—your heart rate goes up, you get a little bit numb. It’s a good thing to experience.”
Kyriacou’s round began with a three-putt bogey on the first hole, but she quickly bounced back with three consecutive birdies.
Despite another bogey on the sixth, she added birdies on the 10th and 11th holes and credited crucial par saves on the 13th and 14th for keeping her round on track.
“I think the one on 13, 14. 14 was kind of like I hit a really bad first putt; left it like five foot short from 20 feet, but then I holed the next one, a little downhill slider,” Kyriacou said.
“So being able to hole that, that kind of like kept it going. Missing that late on in the round, you know, I don’t know what it would’ve done to me. Yeah, probably an important one.”
A birdie on the 15th hole tied her for the lead, and another on the final hole of the round secured her position at the top.
Kyriacou is now poised to become the season’s third Rolex First-Time winner and the fourth major champion from Australia in LPGA Tour history.
However, just one stroke behind her are two formidable contenders: American Lauren Coughlin and Japan’s Ayaka Furue.
Furue, who claimed her first LPGA Tour victory at the 2022 Women’s Scottish Open, has already racked up eight top-10 finishes in 2024.
She’s no stranger to success at the Amundi Evian Championship, having finished solo fourth in 2021 with four consecutive rounds in the 60s, her best performance in any major to date.
Coughlin, meanwhile, delivered her second 65 of the week, highlighted by eagles on the 9th and 18th holes.
The 31-year-old, accompanied by her husband John as her caddie for the first time since her T3 finish at The Chevron Championship in April, expressed confidence in their partnership.
“I think I had no expectations this week given that he hasn’t caddied for me in quite a while since Terry [McNamara] has been caddying for me,” Coughlin said.
“But I think he’s just my favourite person, so there is just a lot of — it’s just easy to be comfortable with him out there.
He’s really starting to get the gist of how to caddie. I know we did really well at Chevron, too.”
Pajaree Anannarukarn sits solo fourth after a third-round 67. Major champion Patty Tavatanakit, LPGA Tour winner Ally Ewing, and Hye-Jin Choi are tied for fifth at -9.
Ewing’s round of 7-under 64 is her career-low 18-hole score in a major championship, capping off four straight top-five finishes.
“Good golf happens, but certainly bad shots are going to come. I’m not expecting to go play a perfect round,” said Ewing.
“So just enjoying myself, enjoying my walks. Kurt and I are really good course managers, so assessing when risk is worth it and just being really smart about that.”
Four players are tied for eighth at -8, including Ingrid Lindblad, who shot an even-par 71 in her first LPGA Tour event as a professional.
Defending champion Celine Boutier shot a 2-over 73 and stands at 3-under (T35) heading into the final round.
