Boutier has never won her major and missed the cut last year at the Evian Championship, where her best performance to date is a tie for 29th in 2014 and 2021.

A fourth birdie of the day on the 18th hole helped her to card a two-under-par round of 69, and gave her an outright lead at seven-under.

"Today was super tough," she said afterwards.

"It was very windy and this course is not meant for windy conditions, so really had to play as smart as we could out there.

"Did make a lot of bogey, but made a lot of birdies too to counter, which is a nice feeling.

"It's exciting to be heading into the weekend not too far away and in contention."

Yuka Saso of Japan also missed the cut last year, but recovered from a shaky start on day two including a double bogey and a bogey on the first hole to notch seven birdies en route to a round of 69.

She is tied for second at six-under with Thailand's Patty Tavatanakit, a player who like Saso won a major in 2021 but failed to make the cut at this event last year.

Tavatanakit notched four birdies and just one bogey for an impressive round of 67.

Nasa Hataoka of Japan, Gaby López of Mexico and the United States' Alison Lee are just one shot further back in a tie for fourth, and South Korea's Ryu Hae-ran is seventh at four-under.

Overnight leader Paula Reto of South Africa endured a disappointing back nine which included three bogeys and a double bogey.

She carded 75 and dropped to three-under, a score matched by three other players including defending champion Brooke Henderson of Canada.

Spain's Carlota Ciganda, who tied for third last year at the Evian Championship, was disqualified after refusing to add a two-shot penalty to her score for slow play on the final hole.

Ciganda lost an appeal against the penalty after a one-over-par round of 72, but left the scoring tent without signing her card.

A total of 70 players made the cut to progress to tomorrow and Sunday (July 30).

The Evian Championship is women's golf's penultimate major of the year.