Brooke Henderson tops leaderboard after two rounds at Evian Championship

Brooke Henderson has found the secret to success at the Amundi Evian Championship — and it has nothing to do with her golf-course preparations.

“Yeah, I’ve been having a lot of crepes here in France,” Henderson, the 36-hole leader told reporters with a smile on Friday. “So I think maybe to keep the momentum going I better have some more.”

The Canadian fired her second-straight 7-under 64 at the Evian Resort Golf Club in Evian-les-Bains, France and leads by three at the fourth of five majors on the LPGA Tour this season.

According to golf statistician Justin Ray of the Twenty First Group, Henderson is the first golfer in LPGA Tour history to begin a major with back-to-back rounds of 64 or lower.

Her 14-under 128 total through two rounds is also just one off the all-time mark for lowest 36-hole score at a major in LPGA Tour history.

“It feels really nice to get off to a fast start in a major championship. Feels like it’s been a while. To get it this far under par is really awesome,” said Henderson. “And I feel like I’m hitting the ball really well, which is nice. Making some putts. So, two solid days, and I’m just really looking forward to the weekend.”

For the second day in a row Henderson made birdie on her first two holes.

The birdie on the par-4 1st came from about 30 feet, Henderson said, and rolled in “unexpectedly.”

“That got me going a little bit,” Henderson said. “It’s fun to see the ball go in the hole. It’s cool, like I said, to have a fast start at a major. It’s been a while, and hopefully I can just keep the momentum rolling.”

Henderson bogeyed the par-4 3rd before adding another birdie on the par-5 9th. She shot a 5-under 31 on the back nine, an effort that prompted television commentator Morgan Pressel to classify Henderson’s round as “perfect, precision golf.”

Henderson said her ball-striking has been the key to her success through 36 holes as she’s been knocking it to the right part of the greens with her approach shots. She hit 16 of 18 greens on Friday.

Fellow major winner and former world No.1 Nelly Korda held the clubhouse lead through most of Friday before Henderson had her torrid finish. Korda, who missed most of the first half of the season recovering from surgery due to a blood clot in her arm, shot a 4-under 67 on Friday and is second at 11-under.

“A little pat on my back after two days and hopefully it keeps going that way,” Korda said.

Sei Young Kim and So Yeon Ryu are at 9-under heading into the weekend and tied for third.

The last time Henderson came close at a major was in 2020 when she and Korda lost in a playoff at the Chevron Championship to Mirim Lee.

Although Henderson won for the 11th time on the LPGA Tour last month at the ShopRite LPGA Classic, she has won only one major championship in her career, the 2016 KPMG Women’s PGA Championship.

Since then, Henderson has notched 16 top-20 results at the five biggest events on the LPGA Tour’s schedule — including three this season — but hasn’t been able to take a big one across the finish line.

Henderson knows there is still a lot of golf left to be played this week but she’s happy with where she’s at the halfway point in France.

“It would be amazing to get my second major championship and hopefully I get a few more before my career is over,” said Henderson. “I feel like this is a great position after two days and it’s only half over, so see what happens.”

Fellow Canadian Maude-Aimee Leblanc shot an even-par 71 on Friday and missed the cut.