Leaderboard: -8 A Iwai (Jpn); -6 P Delacour (Fra); -5 C Hull (Eng), M Stark (Swe), R Haeran (Kor), I Jin Hee (Kor); -4 C Gainer (Eng), L Woad (Eng), J Yan (US), R Yin (Chn), B Henderson (Can), E Hara (Jpn), M Kang (Kor)
Selected others: E L Maguire (Ire); +2 L Walsh (Ire); +3 N Korda (US); +5 M Rhodes (Eng)
Charley Hull laughed off suggestions her caddie's ice cream helped fire her to third place after day one of the Evian Championship in southern France.
The 30-year-old was spotted holding the sweet treat on the 15th hole before closing with two birdies and an eagle to close at five under par, three shots behind Aki Iwai of Japan's lead.
"I didn't eat it," she said. "My boyfriend got it for my caddie, so I held it for a minute when he was putting my club in the bag!"
In sweltering conditions, Hull was two over par after six holes but recovered to find five birdies over her next 11 holes before picking up two shots at the par-five 18th.
Her score of 66 is her joint-lowest first round in a major.
At the top of the pack, Iwai went bogey-free in her fine round of eight under par and is two clear of Perrine Delacour from France.
Hull shares third place with three other players, while compatriots Lottie Woad and Cara Gainer are a further shot back at four under.
World number one Nelly Korda, who won the first two majors of the 2026 season, has work to do on Friday after shooting a three-over 74 to languish in a share of 99th place.
Last year at the Evian Championship, Hull was forced to withdraw after collapsing twice during her first round.
She later explained she had been "battling a virus" and was treated at the Evian-les-Bains course without requiring a hospital trip.
Her opening day was much more successful this year, albeit after a slow start.
In temperatures pushing 30C, Hull said she enjoyed being in the heat, even if she avoided indulging in the ice cream.
"I like the heat on my back because I have a few injuries," she said. "The warmer it is, the more I am able to move.
"I just drink loads of water on every hole and have loads of electrolytes. I eat every other hole – but I didn't eat the ice cream."
Still searching for her first major title, Hull has finished second in three out of the five tournaments on the LPGA circuit, including at last month's US Open.
In total, she has five runners-up finishes at golf's biggest events since her maiden appearance in 2012. Her previous first-round best of 66 was also at the Evian Championship in 2022, when she finished in a tie for third
Korda has won four times already this year, including two majors, and once again was clear favourite to pick up her first Evian Championship.
Opening with a double bogey, the American was four over through five holes and, despite picking up two birdies around the turn, she closed with a bogey to sit 11 shots off the lead after day one.
The four-time has only finished outside the top 10 once in 10 events this season – she may need something special tomorrow just to make the cut, which will be the top 65 and ties.
As for England's Woad, last season's Evian Championship was her last event as an amateur and she almost won, finishing one shot behind eventual champion Grace Kim and Jeeno Thitikul at 13 under par.
An opening 66 puts her back in contention here and she flashed her talent in carding five birdies and an eagle alongside three bogeys on the front nine.
"I played pretty solid," Woad said. "It's nice coming somewhere you're more familiar with as this year so far every course has been new."
It was a smoother round for Gainer, who shared the 54-hole lead in 2025 before finishing with a three-over 74 to finish in a tie for 14th.
She had a clean card and found four birdies in shooting 67.
