Stacy Lewis grabs first-round lead at Evian Masters 2012 after she fires 9-under 63
American Stacy Lewis, who lost to Japanese Ai Miyazato by two strokes in the 2011 Evian Masters, fired a stunning 9-under 63 in the opening round to grab an early lead.
The tournament, being played at Evian-les-Bains, France, is featuring a tough field, but Lewis’s performance was so good that she took all the attention on the first day.
The American star was brimming with confidence when she set foot on the French course, and she was lucky enough to keep her Asian rivals at bay. Last year, she looked completely shattered when she let Ai Miyazato
walk away with the title after a nerve-jangling battle.
Lewis kicked off the first round of the 2012 edition in an impressive style, as she made balanced stokes on almost every hole. She parred the first four holes and then drained seven straight birdies, consolidating
her position on the leaderboard.
She posted five consecutive birdies on the front nine, while on the back nine, she reeled off two consecutive birdies on the 10th and 11th hole.
Commentators said that Lewis looked fired up on every hole, making sure her each stroke hit the target. South Korean Hee Young Park put her best foot forward in the opening round, as she grabbed the second
spot after she posted a 65 on the leaderboard.
Speaking to the media about her performance, Lewis said that she started her opening round normally, as all she could do was par the first four holes. However, she then ramped up pressure on her rivals by shooting
a series of birdies that helped her jump to the top spot on the leaderboard.
“You know I kind of got off to a slow start. Didn't really have anything going the first few holes. I don't know what changed or what clicked, but I think the pretty close on 5 and made a long putt on 6; barely
missed eagle on 7,” the first-round leader said.
“From there I started to hit some good shots. Made about a 20‑footer on 11, which is the last of the seven. I was happy, more happy to finish with the two birdies than even the seven just to get some momentum
going into tomorrow”.
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