Sung Hyun Park took a two-shot first round lead in controversial circumstances at the Evian Championship ©Getty Images

South Korea’s Sung Hyun Park took full opportunity of the controversially re-run first round at the Evian Championship today as she hit an eight-under-par 63 to lead by two shots.

It came the day after slumping to six over par after nine holes before heavy rain caused the tournament to be re-scheduled over 54 rounds starting from this morning.

The decision to re-boot the fifth and final major of this year’s Ladies Professional Golf Association European Tour - which carries total prize money of $3.65 million (£2.76 million/€3.07 million) - received criticism from some players and observers, with the United States Jessica Korda, who was leading at two-under when play was scrapped, saying it "sucked".

The American, who finished the day at the Evian Resort Golf Club four shots behind Park in joint fifth, told GolfDigest.com: "It sucked because I was playing so well yesterday, and some people weren't playing so well yesterday that are playing well today, and there's nothing I can do about that."

Park admitted that the Tour decision had represented a good break - "I guess it was for me, yes," said the 23-year-old who won her first major, the US Open, in July.

Jessica Korda of the United States, who was leading by two shots in the original first round at the Evian Championship that was scrapped because of heavy rain, said the decision by the LPGA
Jessica Korda of the United States, who was leading by two shots in the original first round at the Evian Championship that was scrapped because of heavy rain, said the decision by the LPGA "sucked" ©Getty Images

"I forgot about yesterday's record, and I just focused on my play today," she said.

Park shot 63 in the first round of the Evian last year, when she finished joint second as Chun In-gee won over the standard 72 holes in a world record of 21 under par.

Thailand’s Moriya Jutanugarn is two shots behind Park on 65, one shot ahead of Anna Nordqvist of Sweden and Katherine Kirk of Australia.

Korda was joined on a four-under-par 67 by fellow American Alex Marina and South Korea’s Kim Kyung-in.

Announcing the decision to shorten the event yesterday, Ladies Professional Golf Association commissioner Mike Whan commented: "Some players will not like it, but I'll take the brunt of that.

"We have tried to get started again today, but everything is so wet that we were worried about safety."