French sports fans have plenty to cheer about this month, as Les Bleus are primed to win their second FIFA World Cup in the last three playings.

But back on home soil this week at the Amundi Evian Championship, Nastasia Naduad is also giving the locals plenty to be excited about. The Frenchwoman is in the mix through 36 holes in her home country’s major and is on track to record her best career LPGA Tour finish.

“It's been amazing. I mean, last year (the cheers) happened the same, so I think I'm just trying to get that positive energy and just get a flow from the French crowd,” Naduad said. “It's just giving a big wave of positive energy into my game as well. When you get a birdie, I get huge roars from everywhere. It's very satisfying.”

Nadaud, who earned LPGA Tour status for the first time in 2026 via her finish at Q-Series Final Qualifying last year, sits tied for fifth heading into the weekend at Evian-Les-Baines after back-to-back rounds of 68.

It was an up-and-down Friday for the LPGA Tour rookie. After sitting 3-under through her first six holes, she bogeyed the par-5 7th hole and then made double on the par-5 9th hole. She was even par for her day standing on the 15th tee but made three birdies in her final four holes to finish the round with positive momentum.

“Had a bad double on nine after being on in two next to the green. Probably the biggest mistake of the whole week,” Naduad admitted. “That birdie (on No. 10 after the double bogey) really helped to get me back on track and give myself some hope heading into the final holes and finish up pretty well as well on the final four or five holes. It was great.”

The 21-year-old is already no stranger to success. She won the Ladies European Tour season finale in November by an impressive four shots over countrywoman Perrine Delacour, who herself is just a shot back of Naduad through 36 holes at the Amundi Evian Championship this week – and finished third in the LET Order of Merit in 2025.

At the close of the year, she had risen inside the top 100 of the Rolex Rankings for the first time in her career.

Naduad has had a mixed bag of results so far in her rookie campaign on the LPGA Tour, with her best finish, a solo 14th, happening in March at the Ford Championship presented by Wild Horse Pass. She has, however, made her last four cuts heading into the Evian Championship, including the KPMG Women’s PGA Championship – her second major of the season. In that run, Naduad notched two top-25 finishes.

Although this is Naduad’s second time teeing it up at the Evian Championship – she had a tidy debut a year ago, finishing tied for 21st – she knows this year is a different story.

“Last year I was here as an invite and was on the LET, so it was not really the Tour I was playing on, so I had like no pressure at all. I was sick last year so I really didn't think about anything happening around. This year's a bit different because I feel in good shape,” Naduad said. “Being an LPGA regular player brought a bit of pressure, but I'm really happy how I handled that, especially with the help of my coaches.”

A handful of golfers from the LET who all made it onto the LPGA Tour via Q-Series last year, Naduad said, so having plenty of familiar faces on her rookie campaign has helped her adjust new routines. She said that more often than not, the “European friends” stick together, sharing housing and going out for meals. That helps, she said, and she has been enjoying her first stretch so far.

She is hoping the positive vibes on and off the course at the Evian Championship continue through the weekend. Naduad said her game is in “really, really good shape” and the home-country crowds are doing their best to buoy her to a strong finish.

Naduad will take a dip in Lake Geneva Friday evening and then get herself ready to go again – on the weekend at a major.

“I didn't really realize I was in contention before finishing on 18. I hadn't looked at the leaderboard. It was a pretty satisfying day,” Naduad said.

A satisfying day. A satisfying start. Allons-y.

French Rookie Nastasia Nadaud Shines on Home Soil Through Two Rounds at Evian

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