SHANGHAI – Ariya Jutanugarn shot a 6-under 66 to take a one-stroke lead after the first round of the Buick LPGA Shanghai tournament on Thursday.

The Thai player had six birdies in a bogey-free round, including three straight on Nos. 4, 5, and 6.

“I always have so much fun when I play in Asia,” said Jutanugarm, who added her key was “just not to expect anything. Just go out have fun and enjoy everything.”

Sei Young Kim and Danielle Kang (both 67) were one shot back, with six other players only two shots off the lead.

The tournament is the second of five being played in South Korea, Japan, China and Taiwan in the LPGA’s annual Asian swing.

Kang credited her improved play to new coach Butch Harmon.

“We just kind of simplify the game a lot,” the American said. “Just trying to calm it down and get back to how I used to play. Just more feel golf. Thinking less mechanics and going with the flow.”

Kang tied for third last week at the KEB Hana Bank championship in Incheon, South Korea.

“Today’s round went very smooth,” Kang said. “Coming off very good momentum after last week, and I’ve been hitting the ball really well, playing great. I’ve just been trusting my game and just keep giving myself birdie chances. They kept rolling in.”

Canada’s Brooke Henderson struggled out of the gate with a 3-over-par 75 to sit in a tie for 60th.

EVIAN-LES-BAINS, France – Ariya Jutanugarn, of Thailand, has won the 2018 Rolex ANNIKA Major Award, which recognizes the player who has the most outstanding record in all five major championships during the current LPGA Tour season.

Jutanugarn received the honor thanks to her win at the U.S. Women’s Open, her second career major championship victory, and ties for fourth place at the ANA Inspiration and the Ricoh Women’s British Open.

The 22-year-old, who joins Michelle Wie (2014), Inbee Park (2015), Lydia Ko (2016) and So Yeon Ryu (2017) as winners of the prestigious award, was recognized in a ceremony on the 18th green at The Evian Championship, concluding an exciting season of majors in 2018.

“I feel great, I feel really honor to join the list of winners because of all the big names,” said Jutanugarn. “I watch Annika since I was young. She is my idol as always. I’m really like, ‘Look how she is doing?’ And I really want to follow her footsteps. She inspire me a lot. And I really want to thank her for like all the great everything for the LPGA. It’s amazing for me.”

Points for the Rolex ANNIKA Major Award are awarded at all five major championships to competitors who finish among the top 10 and ties. To take home the award, a player must also win at least one of the five majors. Pernilla Lindberg (ANA Inspiration), Sung Hyun Park (KPMG Women’s PGA Championship), Georgia Hall (Ricoh Women’s British Open) and Angela Stanford (The Evian Championship) were the other players to qualify this season.

Heading into The Evian Championship, six players were still in the running for the 2018 Rolex ANNIKA Major Award but Sung Hyun Park dropped out of contention for the honor when she missed the cut on Friday. That left RAMA standings leader Jutanugarn, Lindberg, Hall, Inbee Park and So Yeon Ryu to vie for the award over the last two rounds at Evian Resort Golf Club.

Jutanugarn has enjoyed one of the best campaigns of her LPGA career this year. Her three wins (Kingsmill Championship presented by GEICO, U.S. Women’s Open conducted by the USGA and Aberdeen Standard Investments Ladies Scottish Open) are the equal-most by a single player on Tour this season and represent the third successive time she has won multiple titles during the same year. Jutanugarn has racked up 10 additional top-10 finishes, including a runner-up spot at the Bank of Hope Founders Cup.

With her third win this season, at the Aberdeen Standard Investments Ladies Scottish Open in late July, Jutanugarn moved back to No. 1 in the Rolex Women’s World Golf Rankings, a spot she held for two weeks during June of 2017. She is the only Thai player (male or female) ever to reach No. 1.

“I’m pretty happy about the way I played this season,” said Jutanugarn. “I still have a lot of thing to improve and I really want to improve a lot. I didn’t expect to be like this good before, so everything is just good for me.”

A 10-time winner on the LPGA Tour, Jutanugarn earned Tour membership with a tie for third at the 2014 Qualifying Tournament. She claimed her first LPGA title at the 2016 Yokohama Tire LPGA Classic and ended up winning four more times that year, including the Ricoh Women’s British Open, before becoming just the second player to win the Rolex Player of the Year, Race to the CME Globe and the LPGA Official Money Title in the same season.

Jutanugarn landed two more LPGA Tour victories in 2017, at the Manulife LPGA Classic and the season-ending CME Group Tour Championship. She is also a three-time champion on the Ladies European Tour.

EVIAN-LES-BAINS, France – Angela Stanford ended her long wait for a first major title when her 3-under 68 was enough to win the Evian Championship by one shot Sunday after long-time leader Amy Olson made double-bogey on the 18th.

At age 40, and 15 years after she was runner-up at the U.S. Women’s Open, Stanford’s wild final few holes gave her a 12-under total of 272.

Olson missed a six-foot putt for bogey on the 18th to force a playoff, while Stanford waited near the green signing autographs for dozens of young spectators.

Stanford, who got the last of her five LPGA Tour titles in 2012, put her hands to her mouth on hearing she had won, and was in tears during television interviews.

Stanford earned a $577,500 check for making her 14th career top-10 finish in majors a winning one.

Olson carded a 74 to fall into a four-way tie for second place with fellow Americans Austin Ernst (68) and Mo Martin (70), and Sei Young Kim (72). Martin barely missed with a birdie chance on the 18th to face Stanford in a playoff.

Canada’s Brooke Henderson finished in a tie for 10th at 8 under. The 21-year-old from Smiths Falls, Ont., shot a 3-under 68 to rebound from a 1 over on Saturday. Alena Sharp of Hamilton closed with an even-par 71 and tied for 37th, while Brittany Marchand of Orangeville, Ont., tied for 49th at 3 over.

Round of ?? for @BrookeHenderson, who finished tied for 10th at the @EvianChamp to collect another top 10 major finish! ?? pic.twitter.com/A5g1l3VMOp

— CP Women's Open (@cpwomensopen) September 16, 2018

After Olson was outright or joint leader all day – briefly with Stanford at 13 under with four holes to play – she three-putted to end her championship with a career-best result.

“It’s disappointing to finish like that,” said the 26-year-old Olson, whose previous best finish in an LPGA event was tied for seventh in 2014.

Playing in the second-last group, Stanford went eagle-double bogey-birdie from the 15th, then saw her birdie chance brush the hole on No. 18.

She crouched with her hands on her head, tapped in for par, then went to sign autographs out of sight of the playing area.

Seeking a first LPGA title, Olson teed off two shots ahead of Kim and then gave one back at the par-3 2nd hole.

The leaderboard changed little on the front nine until Olson made bogey at the par-3 8th. She stayed as joint leader with Kim on 13 under – three shots clear – only when Kim’s putt from off the same green hit the pin and stayed out.

Olson’s two-shot lead was soon restored after Kim’s double bogey 6 at the 10th. She padded her lead to three with a tap-in for birdie at the par-5 13th.

Two more Americans, Stanford and Ernst, joined Kim three behind Olson, who let a good chance slip at the par-5 15th after her short approach chip to the green was weak.

In a wild ride for Stanford, she joined Olson on 13-under after making eagle at the 15th, then gave back both shots at the par-3 16th. Soon, Stanford punched the air with her right fist when sinking a 25-footer for birdie on 17th.

Olson went to the 17th tee with a one-shot lead on 13 under as Ernst set a clubhouse target of 11 under. Her bogey-free 68 saw several putts lip out.

Refusing to check the leaderboard all day, Olson said she only knew on the 18th tee where she stood. A par 4 would win, but she hooked her tee shot into the rough, and her third-shot approach was well below the pin. A par putt for victory raced past.

EVIAN-LES-BAINS, France _ Canada’s Brooke Henderson is two strokes back at the halfway mark of the Evian Championship, the final major of the LPGA Tour season.

The 21-year-old native of Smiths Falls, Ont., is tied for sixth at 6 under after a 2-under 69 on Friday. She’s two strokes behind Maria Torres of Puerto Rico, Mi Hyang Lee of South Korea and Americans Mo Martin and Amy Olson.

After two birdies in a row on Nos. 4 and 5, Henderson had a bogey at No. 6 and a double bogey at No. 7. But she bounced back on the back nine with four birdies and one bogey.

“I feel like my game is in a really good spot,” said Henderson. “To be able to rebound like that mentally I think is really key. On this golf course you got to stay patient, and I feel like we were able to do that even though it’s very difficult at times.

“I’m really excited for the next few days, so we’ll just see what happens.”

Tour rookie Torres, the first Puerto Rican to earn an LPGA card, shot a 2-under 69 before Olson (65), Martin (66) and Lee (66) matched her 8-under 134 total.

“It’s something new and it’s exciting (to lead),” said the 23-year-old Torres, who is ranked No. 184. She missed the cut at 10 over in her only previous major, the Women’s PGA Championship won in July by the South Korean world No. 1 Sung Hyun Park, who won’t play this weekend.

Park (71) started and finished play Friday at 6 over at the sun-soaked Evian Resort Golf Club and missed the cut by three shots.

Olson had seven birdies and secured a share of the lead with an 18-foot par-saving putt on the 18th.

“That was huge,” said the 26-year-old North Dakota native, whose career-best finish in a major is tied for ninth at the ANA Inspiration this season. “Seeing it drop, that’s a lot of confidence going into tomorrow.”

Olson’s working week in France meant she needed a replacement to bake cookies for the Indiana State linebackers coached by her husband, Grant. The Sycamores play Saturday at Eastern Illinois.

“The head coach’s wife made them for the linebackers this week,” Olson said. “She got me covered.”

Lee made an eagle at her final hole, the par-5 ninth, to be the highest ranked co-leader, at No. 59. The South Korean’s two career LPGA wins are more than the other three combined, though Martin won the 2014 Women’s British Open.

One shot back, Carlota Ciganda of Spain carded 70 to follow a 65 that only Torres equaled Thursday.

A seven-woman group on 6 under included Georgia Hall (68), last month’s Women’s British Open champion, plus former major winners Henderson (69) and So Yeon Ryu (69).

Austin Ernst (70) is also two shots back, completing her round minutes before Hurricane Florence made landfall close to her home state South Carolina.

“I’ve checked the weather app every day and talked to my family back home,” said the Seneca native. “It’s more flooding (risk) where I am. Let’s see what happens.”

American amateur Rachel Heck, who is only 16 years old, safely made the cut at her second major. A 73 got her to 1 over.

The top-ranked American, world No. 5 Lexi Thompson, was in tears on the 18th green and missed the cut by one stroke. She swiped her club in frustration after a scuffed chip that led to a bogey-5 and a round of 75. The 2014 ANA Inspiration winner had also dropped a shot at the 17th.

EVIAN-LES-BAINS, France – Aiming to stylishly cap a rookie season that Hurricane Maria almost denied her, Maria Torres shared the first-round lead on 6 under at the final women’s golf major Thursday.

Torres, the first Puerto Rican player to get an LPGA Tour card, went birdie-birdie-eagle from the 13th to 15th holes in a 65 that tied her atop the Evian Championship leaderboard with Carlota Ciganda of Spain.

“I just want to come here and play, and whatever happens, happens,” Torres said.

Carefree laughs flowed from the 184th-ranked Torres, who last September was on her home island when the hurricane struck.

In the aftermath, the University of Florida graduate struggled to register for the second part of tour qualifying school. Finally, at Daytona Beach in December, Torres won a three-way playoff to claim the last tour card on offer.

Nine months later, the 2016 Southeastern Conference college player of the year is relishing her first competition in France.

“It’s awesome to be here,” Torres said. “I love it, I’m like almost rolling down the par-3s with all I’ve been eating here.”

Torres matched a target set by the 21st-ranked Ciganda, who had six birdies and no bogeys on the 6,523-yard Evian Resort Golf Club course.

Both excelled on the par-5s. Torres played the four long holes in 5 under, including her eagle at No. 15, against three birdies for the 28-year-old Ciganda, who previously helped Arizona State win a college title.

One shot back, Austin Ernst of the United States made eagle-3 at the 13th in a 5-under 66 to stand alone in third place.

A three-player group on 67 included Brooke Henderson of Canada, winner of the 2018 CP Women’s Open and 2016 PGA Championship; Nasa Hataoka of Japan, who won the qualifying school tournament,  and two-time major winner So Yeon Ryu of South Korea.

Highlights from @BrookeHenderson’s opening-round 67 ???? pic.twitter.com/yfrTd1G1jf

— CP Women's Open (@cpwomensopen) September 13, 2018

Canadian Alena Sharp of Hamilton, Ont., opened with a 2-over 73 to share 56th place. Brittany Marchand of Orangeville, Ont., sits right on the projected cut line of 3 over par.

Georgia Hall, a homegrown British Open champion last month, had a bogey-free 68 to stand in a big group on 3 under which included seven-time major winner Inbee Park of South Korea.

Top-ranked Sung Hyun Park had a tough day, shooting a 6-over 77 playing in the same afternoon group as Hall. The South Korean player, who won the PGA Championship in July, dropped shots at four of the first five holes.

“Nothing went well,” Park said through a translator. “It was a very disappointing day.”

Defending champion Anna Nordqvist of Sweden and fifth-ranked Lexi Thompson of the U.S. shot even-par 71s among the early starters, who enjoyed the best of 27 degrees Celsius (80 degrees F) heat.

Forecast stormy rain held off just until the last groups completed play, including 16-year-old American Rachel Heck who had a 1-under 70 in her second major.

“I was looking around thinking I can’t believe I am actually here,” said Heck, a native of Memphis, Tennessee who got a wild-card entry.

Annika Sorenstam has learned a thing or two about what it takes to be the best.

So when the World Golf Hall of Fame member says Canada’s Brooke Henderson is well on her way to becoming one of the top players on the LPGA Tour, it makes sense to pay attention.

Henderson’s emotional win at the CP Women’s Open last month in Regina could be just the beginning, the 72-time winner on the LPGA Tour said in an interview ahead of the final major of the season – the Evian Championship, starting Thursday in Evian-les-Bains, France.

“What Brooke did was an amazing display of golf,” Sorenstam said of Henderson’s triumph, which ended a 45-year drought for Canadians at their national championship.

“If this continues, she will soon be one of the best in the world.”

Sorenstam, who in 2014 was named the best Swedish female athlete in history, won three times in Sweden during her career.

She’s also a two-time winner of the Evian Championship, where Henderson will try to put an exclamation mark on a memorable year.

Sorenstam said she likes Henderson’s game, which mixes an aggressive approach off the tee with a nice short game.

The combination, she said, is going to be beneficial for the native of Smiths Falls, Ont., for years to come.

“She has gotten off to a quick start in her young career,” Sorenstam said of Henderson, who turned 21 on Monday. “I am sure there will be many more wins to follow.”

Henderson has unfinished business at the Evian. She finished tied for ninth and tied for 25th in 2016 and 2015, respectively. Last year’s tournament was shortened to 54 holes due to weather, and she finished tied for 58th.

“It’s a beautiful golf course – usually challenging with the weather – but I think it suits my game well, particularly with how I’m striking the ball right now,” said Henderson.

“Hopefully all the pieces come together for the week and I can play well again.”

With more than US$1.2 million earned this season, Henderson sits second on the LPGA Tour money list with seven tournaments left. She’s also third on the year

that points list after the CME Group Tour Championship, the final event of the year, she’ll win a $1-million bonus prize.

Henderson’s CP Women’s Open victory was her second of the year. She also captured the Lotte Championship in Hawaii in April.

“I think it’s finally starting to sink in that I won our national championship, and it’s just such an amazing feeling and a dream come true to know that my name will always be on that trophy,” said Henderson.

With her win in Regina, Henderson figures to be a strong candidate for the Lou Marsh Trophy, given to Canada’s athlete of the year.

The award has been claimed by a golfer only three times: Marlene Streit (1956), Sandra Post (1979), and Mike Weir (2003).

“It’s something that would be an incredible achievement and honour to be in the conversation for,” said Henderson. “Hopefully my game and my achievements on the course can put me in that position some day.”

Henderson now has seven victories since turning professional. The most by a Canadian – male or female – is eight, a record held jointly by George Knudson, Post, and Weir, all of whom accomplished the feat much later in their careers.

Henderson celebrated her birthday at home with her family and said the week off was “definitely needed” after her win and then playing in the Cambia Portland Classic the week after, where she tied for 21st.

“It was nice having a tournament to just roll straight into to try and act as normal as possible, but to just be able to relax for a few days and reflect on everything has been great,” she said.

PORTLAND, Ore. – Marina Alex rallied to win the Cambia Portland Classic for her first LPGA Tour title, closing with a 7-under 65 on Sunday for a four-stroke victory over Georgia Hall.

Alex birdied the final five holes in a front-nine 30 to take the lead and added birdies on the par-5 12th and par-4 15th at tree-lined Columbia Edgewater. The 28-year-old former Vanderbilt star made her only bogey of the day on the par-4 18th, leaving her at 19-under 269.

“My goal was 8 under to give myself a chance, but I even thought maybe that wouldn’t have been good enough,” Alex said. “It was just an incredible day. I’m proud.”

She didn’t look at a leaderboard until the final hole.

“I was trying purposefully not to look at the leaderboard because I think sometimes it just gets me a little stressed out,” Alex said. “I get anxious, and then I think, ‘Oh, I have a lead, I need to protect it.’

“I kind of just pretended all day that I was behind and that I needed to play catch-up. I think it really helped me just play my best. I didn’t know I had a four-shot lead until basically the third shot – no, after the third shot – into the green here on 18.”

The New Jersey player gave caddie Travis Wilson his second straight victory in the event. Wilson is teaming with Alex with regular boss Stacy Lewis preparing for the birth of her first child.

“He’s such a wonderful guy,” Alex said. “He has such a calm demeanour about him, and it definitely helped me relax, We had so much fun the past three weeks.”

Wilson spent three weeks with Alex.

“I’m so happy for her.” Wilson said. “She’s a great girl. She works hard. She’s been close a number of times, and to be the guy that gets her through to get that first win, I’m going to remember that forever.”

Alex matched the course record with a 62 on Thursday, then shot 71-71 to begin the final round six strokes behind Women’s British Open champion Hall.

“It was tough to back up the first round with some good rounds,” Alex said.

Hall had a 75. The 22-year-old Englishwoman played the front nine in 2 over, with bogeys on the par-4 first and par-5 seventh.

“The pin positions were really, really tough,” Hall said. “The front nine was unbelievable. I couldn’t even get to hardly any of them. I was just trying to like stay patient and do what I could to kind of stay in it. I mean, she shot, what, 7 under? That’s incredible. … My hats off to her.”

Rookie Brittany Marchand of Orangeville, Ont., was in a tie for fourth heading into the final round, but shot a 77 to fall into a tie for 16th alongside Team Canada Young Pro Squad teammate Anne-Catherine Tanguay of Quebec City (73).

Brooke Henderson of Smith Falls, Ont., had a 75 to tie for 21st at 4 under. The Canadian star, the 2015 and 2016 winner at Columbia Edgewater, won the CP Women’s Open last week on home soil in Saskatchewan, then opened with a 64 on Thursday, before slipping back with rounds of 71 and 74.

Japan’s Ayako Uehara was third at 13 under after a 69.

Australia’s Minjee Lee, two strokes behind playing partner Hall entering round, had a 77 to finish fourth at 11 under.

“It was very bad,” Lee said. “I didn’t really have my ‘A’ game on.”

Lexi Thompson shot 70 to tie for ninth at 7 under in her third event following a three-week break for emotional and mental fatigue.

PORTLAND, Ore. – Canadian LPGA rookie Brittany Marchand is one round away from the best finish of her young career.

The 26-year-old Marchand carded a 2-under 70 on Saturday to sit in a tie for fourth place at 10-under heading into the final round of the Cambia Portland Classic.

Marchand placed seventh at the Thornberry Creek LPGA Classic back in July for the only Top-10 finish in her first season on the Tour.

“It’s a good spot. You know, I mean, I didn’t really have too high an expectations of myself this week,” said Marchand. “I wasn’t thinking, ‘I’m going to win this tournament,’ but now that I’m in this position, obviously, that’s my goal. But I don’t feel pressure. I mean, it would be amazing, so if everything clicks tomorrow, that’s great.”

Marchand birdied four of her first eight holes and turned the corner at 12-under, but a double bogey on the par-3 13th dropped her two strokes and she finished with five straight pars.

“I had one bad hole, but actually hit a really good shot. I’m still a little dumbfounded how it went that far over the green,” said the Orangeville, Ont., native.

“Otherwise, I hit a few not great shots coming down the stretch, but had some good saves, so that was good, and played the front nine really well. So overall, I’m pretty happy.”

Georgia Hall pulled away from Minjee Lee late in the third round to take a two-stroke lead into Sunday. Hall is 18 under.

Marchand is tied alongside Ayako Uehara (70).

Brooke Henderson of Smiths Falls, Ont., had a 74 to fall into a tie for sixth at 7 under. The Canadian star, the 2015 and 2016 winner at Columbia Edgewater, won the CP Women’s Open last week on home soil in Regina for her seventh career victory.

Meanwhile, Quebec City’s Anne-Catherine Tanguay shot 67 to move up to 12th spot at 6 under.

Marchand has had some ups and downs at times this season, missing the cut in each of the past three events she’s played including the CP Women’s Open. But she believes she’s got the right frame of mind with 18 holes remaining.

“I think the last week of the Canadian Open … there too much in my head. Put a little pressure on myself, obviously, being Canadian, and had a little bit too much technical stuff going on, so I’m happy with myself this week,” said Marchand. “I feel like I’ve been playing really well all year, and I had a little bit of a slip the last couple weeks, but I’m happy to feel comfortable again.”

PORTLAND, Ore. – Brooke Henderson followed her opening 64 with a 71 to drop into a tie for fifth at 9 under. The 20-year-old Canadian star, the 2015 and 2016 winner at Columbia Edgewater, is coming off a victory Sunday in the CP Women’s Open on home soil in Saskatchewan.

Georgia Hall shot a 9-under 63 on Friday to take a three-stroke lead in the Cambia Portland Classic and break the tournament 36-hole record.

The Women’s British Open winner four weeks ago for her first LPGA Tour title, the 22-year-old Englishwoman made five straight birdies in the middle of the back nine. She missed a chance to match the course record of 62 when her long birdie try went to the right on the par-4 18th.

“The putts were really good,” Hall said. “I holed some really long ones, as well, and my long game was pretty good today, and I didn’t really miss a green that much. I’m extremely happy. I kind of stayed in there and kept trying to get more birdies, so I was happy with that.”

Hall had a 15-under 129 total. She had four birdies on the front nine, three in a row on Nos. 5-7, and began the birdie streak on the par-5 12th at tree-lined Columbia Edgewater.

“I love this golf course,” Hall said. “It’s very nice to play. It’s in great condition, so I look forward to the weekend and seeing what I can do.”

Minjee Lee was second, following her opening 64 with a 68. The 22-year-old Australian won the Volvik Championship in May in Michigan for her fourth LPGA Tour title.

“I just scrambled when I had to and just took advantage of the shots that I hit close,” Lee said. “It was all-around OK today.”

Marina Alex, the first-round leader after tying the course record with a 62, had a late bogey in a 71 to fall into a tie with Megan Khang at 11 under.

“Had some great looks that just didn’t go in,” Alex said. I just really didn’t make anything. They weren’t bad strokes or putts, they just didn’t go in. So just carry some good juju into tomorrow.“

Khang eagled the par-5 fifth in a 65.

“I just kind of hit some great shots, had some good numbers, and just kind of stayed patient out there,” Khang said. Definitely gave myself a lot of opportunities, and luckily a few of them dropped, and just kind of kept that mentality for the rest of the day.“

“Got off to a shaky start, two bogeys right back-to-back on the back nine, which was my front nine, and I just kind of fought the rest of the day to kind of get it under par,” Henderson said. “So, I’m happy with 1 under. I would have obviously liked to have been better and get up the leaderboard a little bit more, but I just felt like I kind of battled my way through, and I feel like I did a good job of that.”

Australia’s Su Oh also was 9 under after a 69.

Lexi Thompson was 3 under after a 73. She missed the cut last week in Canada after tying for 12th in Indianapolis following a three-week break for emotional and mental fatigue.

Karen Stupples shot 71-79 to miss the cut in her first tour start in more than two years. The 45-year-old English player is a commentator for Golf Channel.

“I accomplished what I set out to at the start of the week, which was to prove to myself that I still had potential to play, even though I don’t want to,” Stupples said.