While she’s no stranger to Evian Resort Golf Club, Sophia Schubert isn’t really familiar with being in contention at a major championship. But that’s exactly where she’s found herself through 36 holes at the Amundi Evian Championship. The 26-year-old carded rounds of 69 and 65 on days one and two in Evian-les-Bains and heads to the weekend at -8 under, six shots back of the lead and in a tie for fifth with five other players. Schubert made seven birdies and one bogey on Friday and gives credit to her positive attitude and solid putting performance for her stellar play so far in France.
“Yesterday in particular, I made a long one on my second hole after I doubled my first hole, which was huge for me and just totally changed my mindset,” said Schubert of her Thursday 69. “Then today on my second hole, No. 11, I made probably a 20-foot putt after I had bogeyed my first hole. I was able to get that momentum back. I have to tell myself, stay positive. Just keep trucking along. Don't change anything. Don't try to force anything. A lot of the time people, if they've had a couple of bad holes, force making a birdie. Had to really make sure that I wasn't doing that.”
Schubert’s inaugural LPGA Tour season hasn’t been much to write home about. The Amundi Evian Championship is her 12th start of 2022 and her best finish thus far is a T12 at the LOTTE Championship presented by Hoakalei. She’s missed five cuts and only played in one major prior to this week, finishing T65 at the 2022 KPMG Women’s PGA Championship. But Schubert isn’t fazed by that lackluster start. With the weekend at Evian on tap, she’ll rely on past experiences at this golf course – she finished T58 here in 2017 as an amateur and also played in the Palmer Cup, an elite amateur team event – and will maintain her positivity as she looks to duke it out with the world’s best for her first LPGA Tour title.
“I've played here twice before, once at Evian and once at Palmer Cup, so I knew what to expect. You can't try to be too perfect. You might get a weird bounce and you just have to roll with it,” said Schubert. “This is what I'm out here for, what I dreamed of for a long time, so I'm excited. Trying not to be too nervous. I'm a rookie so I'm not used to it, but I'm just going to go out tomorrow and have fun. Whatever is going to happen out there is going to happen, so why not just enjoy the moment and try to give it my best.”
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