Feeling Pebble vibes, Angel Yin dodges kid taking ball, cards 67 at Evian

Angel Yin knows she might have a controversial comparison for Evian Resort Golf Club.

“I was thinking this on one hole – and I’ll probably get so much heat for it – but it feels like Pebble,” Yin said of the Amundi Evian Championship layout in Evian-les-Bains, France.

Let her explain: “We’re on the side of a hill. It’s not like we didn’t do that on Pebble. View is nice. We’re not right on the ocean but we have such a view of the entire city and on the other side it’s Switzerland.”

Regardless, Yin is playing well. Yin, who tied for 20th a few weeks ago at Pebble Beach, fired a 4-under 67 Thursday and is just three shots back of leader Paul Reto. Since losing the Chevron Championship in April, Yin hasn’t missed a cut while adding a pair of top-10 finishes. She’s also climbed to No. 14 in U.S. Solheim Cup points.

On Thursday, Yin carded seven birdies. It was one of her pars, however, that was most eventful. On the par-5 15th hole, Yin hit a wayward shot and then had a kid pick up her golf ball.

“The kid was really, really happy,” Yin said. “Like he got my golf ball. I was like far away and I saw his arm go up like this. So, then like, thank God my caddie was up front and he chased him down. … I gave him and his sister a golf ball. Traded it for my actual golf ball I needed to play.”

Yin was able to take a free drop and played out the hole. Though she couldn’t make a birdie, Yin avoided a similar scenario in which she believes a fan did actually take her golf ball.

“In Korea, some lady took my golf ball,” Yin recalls. “I know she took my golf ball, but it was such a far walk down, it was an elevated shot, had to hit down, and I saw this lady bent down. Oh, my God, I think that’s my golf ball. I didn’t chase her down. We didn’t know, so we just said it was a lost ball. It was really difficult to say because it was like – it was like not even 50/50. It was less than that. I just had the feeling it was her. My golf ball was gone. I was in contention.”

Full-field scores from the Amundi Evian Championship

Yin is again in contention. She hasn’t lost any golf balls. And she’s playing a demanding major venue with incredible views.

“Whatever the layout is I’m just going to play it,” Yin said. “To me, that was like pretty similar in Pebble. I don’t think I could have forced it. I just played with the golf course. It gave you more back when you played with the golf course.”