Lydia Ko goes low to open Evian Championship, Ryan Fox and Daniel Hillier start strong at Scottish Open

Lydia Ko tees off on the 11th hole during the first round of the Evian Championship at Evian Resort Golf Club. Photo / Getty Images

Kiwi golfer Lydia Ko has made a strong start in her quest for a third golf major at the site of her maiden title.

The 27-year-old has opened with a six-under 66 at the Evian Championship in France to sit one back from a three-way tie at the top.

Ko won her first major in 2015 at the Evian Resort Golf Club in Evian-Les-Bains, cruising to a six-shot victory which made her the youngest major champion in the history of the LPGA Tour. A year later she won major number two at the 2016 Chevron Championship. But a third major has eluded her since, with two second places and three third-placing finishes over the past eight years.

Gemma Dryburgh (Scotland), Ingrid Lindblad (Sweden) and Patty Tavatanakit (Thailand) sit atop the leaderboard with Ko among five other players at six-under. Ko had seven birdies with her only bogey coming at the par three second.

World number one Nelly Korda and defender champion Celine Boutier both opened with a two-under 69.

Starting on the 10th hole, Ko had a remarkable birdie to finish her front nine.

“I didn’t make too many mistakes. One of the biggest shot mistakes I had was I hit it in the water on the 18th. Chipped in for birdie, so that’s golf sometimes. Sometimes you hit the worst shot of the day and then hit the best shot right afterwards,” she said after her round.

“I stayed patient, and especially some of the trickier holes I think I played that really well.”

The Evian Championship is the beginning of a European stint for Ko over the next month which includes the Olympic tournament, being played at Le Golf National outside of Paris, followed by the Women’s Scottish Open and the Women’s Open at St Andrews Old Course.

“The three Europe stretch from the Olympics and ending at St Andrews is a great stretch, and my family is going to come out, my husband is going to come out to the British.

“So I’m really excited. I don’t know how long I’m going to play golf for. Could be five years, ten years, could be one year. I have no idea.”

Meanwhile, on the DP World Tour, Kiwi duo Daniel Hillier and Ryan Fox have had decent opening rounds at the Scottish Open. PGA Championship winner Justin Thomas, who was playing with Fox, leads the tournament at The Renaissance Club in North Berwick, following an eight-under 62.

Hillier sits in a share of 23rd at four-under with Fox a shot back in a tie for 34th.