Sung Hyun Park leads in France as Catriona Matthew struggles

Scotland's Catriona Matthew '“ in the first match out '“ shot a disappointing first round 78 at the weather-disrupted Evian Championship in France, the fifth and final major of the women's season.

Sung Hyun Park of South Korea checks her yardage chart at the Evian Championship in France. Picture: Stuart Franklin/Getty Images

South Korea’s Sung Hyun Park led on 63, and she certainly made the most of the decision to wipe out the first day’s play and turn it into a 54-hole event. High winds and heavy rain caused the havoc.

The US Women’s Open champion was six over par for six holes played on Thursday. Yesterday, she had seven birdies and an eagle and dropped only one shot to lead by two from Thailand’s Moriya Jutanugarn.

Matthew was three over par for eight holes when play ended on Thursday – but she didn’t manage to make an improvement in the warmer, calmer conditions. She was four over after six holes and and made four more bogeys. Her only birdie came at the 16th.

Graeme, her husband, was caddying, and he described Thursday’s conditions as downright dangerous. “Two trees were blown down when were were playing the ninth.” he said.

Laura Davies was one of the lucky ones. She was four over par for eight holes on Thursday, but shot a two-under 69 to raise hopes of maybe making it win number three at Evian.

“Wiping out yesterday’s play was the fairest thing to do,” said the 53-year-old Davies.

“But I was surprised. The LPGA are not always fair. But I really thought it was unplayable. We had branches blowing everywhere. I was quite scared and someone could have got hurt.”