EVIAN-LES-BAINS, France (AP) — Leona Maguire made a hole-in-one at the Evian Championship on the way to a 6-under 65 in the first round Thursday and a five-way share of the lead.
Having started on the back nine at the fourth major of the year, Maguire aced the par-3 second hole — her 11th — at Evian Resort Golf Club, holing her tee shot from 164 yards.
“It was just taking a little bit off an 8-iron for me. Looked good in the air. You’re never sure on that hole until the ball actually lands,” she said. “Sort of a perfect morning for it. Not much wind which is nice, especially on that tee box.”
The Irishwoman was joined on 65 by American duo of Andrea Lee and Jennifer Kupcho as well as Australians Grace Kim and Gabriela Ruffels.
Australian Minjee Lee, who won the Women’s PGA Championship last month for her third major title, was in sixth place after a 66.
Top-ranked Nelly Korda was a stroke behind her in a tie for seventh. Korda is seeking her first win of the season and third major title.
No. 2-ranked Jeeno Thitikul of Thailand, bidding to win a major for the first time, was tied for 16th after a 68 in a group featuring Lottie Woad. The 21-year-old Woad, a college student from England, was thrust into the spotlight after delivering one of the most stunning wins by an amateur — by six shots over a strong field at the Women’s Irish Open on Sunday.
Woad, the world’s No. 1 amateur and winner of last year's Augusta National Women’s Amateur, is now on the cusp of securing a place on the professional tours.
English golfer Charley Hull had to withdraw from the first round after collapsing to the ground twice because of a virus. Organizers said Hull underwent medical checks but did not have any serious health issues.
AP golf: https://apnews.com/hub/golf
FILE - Charley Hull, of England, prepares to hit on the 13th hole during the first round of the Chevron Championship LPGA golf tournament April 24, 2025, in The Woodlands, Texas. (AP Photo/Ashley Landis, File)
FILE - Nelly Korda watches her tee shot on the 10th hole during the second round of the Women's PGA Championship golf tournament, June 20, 2025, in Frisco, Texas. (AP Photo/LM Otero, File)
ALEPPO, Syria (AP) — First responders on Sunday entered a contested neighborhood in Syria’ s northern city of Aleppo after days of deadly clashes between government forces and Kurdish-led forces. Syrian state media said the military was deployed in large numbers.
The clashes broke out Tuesday in the predominantly Kurdish neighborhoods of Sheikh Maqsoud, Achrafieh and Bani Zaid after the government and the Syrian Democratic Forces, the main Kurdish-led force in the country, failed to make progress on how to merge the SDF into the national army. Security forces captured Achrafieh and Bani Zaid.
The fighting between the two sides was the most intense since the fall of then-President Bashar Assad to insurgents in December 2024. At least 23 people were killed in five days of clashes and more than 140,000 were displaced amid shelling and drone strikes.
The U.S.-backed SDF, which have played a key role in combating the Islamic State group in large swaths of eastern Syria, are the largest force yet to be absorbed into Syria's national army. Some of the factions that make up the army, however, were previously Turkish-backed insurgent groups that have a long history of clashing with Kurdish forces.
The Kurdish fighters have now evacuated from the Sheikh Maqsoud neighborhood to northeastern Syria, which is under the control of the SDF. However, they said in a statement they will continue to fight now that the wounded and civilians have been evacuated, in what they called a “partial ceasefire.”
The neighborhood appeared calm Sunday. The United Nations said it was trying to dispatch more convoys to the neighborhoods with food, fuel, blankets and other urgent supplies.
Government security forces brought journalists to tour the devastated area, showing them the damaged Khalid al-Fajer Hospital and a military position belonging to the SDF’s security forces that government forces had targeted.
The SDF statement accused the government of targeting the hospital “dozens of times” before patients were evacuated. Damascus accused the Kurdish-led group of using the hospital and other civilian facilities as military positions.
On one street, Syrian Red Crescent first responders spoke to a resident surrounded by charred cars and badly damaged residential buildings.
Some residents told The Associated Press that SDF forces did not allow their cars through checkpoints to leave.
“We lived a night of horror. I still cannot believe that I am right here standing on my own two feet,” said Ahmad Shaikho. “So far the situation has been calm. There hasn’t been any gunfire.”
Syrian Civil Defense first responders have been disarming improvised mines that they say were left by the Kurdish forces as booby traps.
Residents who fled are not being allowed back into the neighborhood until all the mines are cleared. Some were reminded of the displacement during Syria’s long civil war.
“I want to go back to my home, I beg you,” said Hoda Alnasiri.
Associated Press journalist Kareem Chehayeb in Beirut contributed to this report.
Sandbag barriers used as fighting positions by Kurdish fighters, left inside a destroyed mosque in the Sheikh Maqsoud neighborhood, where clashes between government forces and Kurdish fighters have been taking place in the northern city of Aleppo, Syria, Sunday, Jan. 11, 2026. (AP Photo/Ghaith Alsayed)
Burned vehicles at one of the Kurdish fighters positions at the Sheikh Maqsoud neighborhood, where clashes between government forces and Kurdish fighters have been taking place in the northern city of Aleppo, Syria, Sunday, Jan. 11, 2026. (AP Photo/Ghaith Alsayed)
People flee the Sheikh Maqsoud neighborhood, where clashes between government forces and Kurdish fighters have been taking place in the northern city of Aleppo, Syria, Sunday, Jan. 11, 2026. (AP Photo/Ghaith Alsayed)
A Syrian military police convoy enters the Sheikh Maqsoud neighborhood, where clashes between government forces and Kurdish fighters have been taking place in the northern city of Aleppo, Syria, Sunday, Jan. 11, 2026. (AP Photo/Ghaith Alsayed)
Burned vehicles and ammunitions left at one of the Kurdish fighters positions at the Sheikh Maqsoud neighborhood, where clashes between government forces and Kurdish fighters have been taking place in the northern city of Aleppo, Syria, Sunday, Jan. 11, 2026. (AP Photo/Ghaith Alsayed)
