IN the final major of the season and a week before the Solheim Cup and it is time to produce your best. But Scotland’s Catriona Matthew didn’t adhere to the script when she dropped four shots in the first six holes at the Evian Championship yesterday, but the comeback was enough to reboot her confidence.

The 46-year-old from North Berwick, who will play in her eighth Solheim in Germany next week, bogeyed the first, third, fifth and sixth over an Evian-Les-Bains course which does not feature on her list of favourites.

But she showed her gritty side with birdies at the eighth, 13th and 17th to finish on one-over-par 72, six off the lead, and in the company of the world No.1 and winner of last month’s Ricoh Women’s British Open at Turnberry, Inbee Park.

“There’s something about this course and me,” said the 2009 Women’s British Open Champion, alluding to her sluggish start. “The rough this year is so thick that it’s really unplayable.

“But I’m very happy to have come back so well. The birdie at the 17th was from about two inches. It’s a big two weeks and I’m really looking forward to the Solheim. It should be good.”

American Lexi Thompson, who first played in the event as a 15-year-old in 2010, and South Korea’s Mi-Hyang Lee both finished on 66 and one clear of the field.

World No.2 Lydia Ko, in her final attempt to become the youngest winner of a women’s major, was handily placed at three off the lead on 69.

Starting from the 10th, the 20-year-old Thompson, already a major champion at last year’s Kraft Nabisco Championship, was in the fourth group out and she surged into the lead with a super run of birdie, eagle, birdie, birdie from the 12th.

She hit a seven-iron approach and made a 25-foot putt for three at the 499-yard 13th and she said: “It feels great to have a stretch of holes like that in a major championship. I hit good shots off the tee and made the putts.”

New Zealander Ko, runner-up to Suzann Pettersen in 2013, was reasonably content with her opening 69.

“I left a couple of shots out there,” said the 18-year-old, who finished tied eighth last year. “But it was a solid start and, hopefully, I can have a slightly better score tomorrow. The course is quite dry but that can’t be helped after the exceptionally warm summer they have had here.”

Ko was in the star grouping alongside Park and World No.3 Stacy Lewis (73), and was the only one to finish under par.

Park bidding for a third major of the season, had her ups and downs. “I’m a little bit disappointed but I’m not out of it,” said the 27-year-old after a round of three birdies and four bogeys.