Celine Boutier is unstoppable. Seven days after her first major win in the Evian championship, Celine Boutier added the Freed Group Women’s Scottish Open Trophy to her mantelpiece at the sunny Dundonald Links.
Boutier is on a roll at this point. Even those Just Stop Oil protesters wouldn’t be able to stop her. What are the odds of a triple-whammy with the AIG Women’s Open on the schedule next week?
When mischievous golf journalists asked her about this possibility, she laughed and gasped. “I’m thinking that if I won again, I might just retire.”
Boutier won $300,000 as a result of the victory.
The fourth French victory in the Women’s Scottish Open was not without drama, but in the end it was a comfortably won victory. Boutier’s lay-up at the final hole and two great putts on a 2-under 70 in the closing round gave him a 15 under aggregate, and a two shot victory over Hyo-Joo of Korea. China’s Ruoning Yin was third with 12 under.
Celine Boutier, winner of the 2023 Women’s Scottish Open in Troon (Scotland), celebrates her victory. (Photo by Octavio Pasos/Getty Images).
Boutier, who was runner-up at this event in Dundonald last year, achieved team success in Scotland in 2019. She won four out of four matches during an exciting Solheim Cup debut in Gleneagles. Boutier’s individual victory, however, marked a major milestone in her career.
She said, “Winning Scotland, the home of golf is amazing, as it was on my bucketlist.”
Boutier’s momentous achievement in her homeland a week earlier was a major emotional and physical drain. It takes a lot to follow up such a major victory with a second one.
She admitted that “this win feels a little unexpected, just because I won the week before.” “The odds that I would win this week were pretty high, so I’m just in shock and extremely grateful.”
Boutier led Thailand’s Patty Tavatanakit by three strokes, and Maja stark from Sweden was third. Tavatanakit started the day with a birdie at the first, but it would take more to upset Boutier. Stark’s ambitions were also ruined by a double bogey at the fourth.
She celebrated a hole in one a couple of holes after that when her wedge from the sixth bounced and she pumped her hands with vigour.
Boutier, on the other hand, was able to keep them at bay and was still three ahead at the turn. On the links ahead of her, gallant charges were being made. A Lim Kim of Korea, a former U.S. women’s open champion, smashed up the order by making six birdies on seven holes starting from the ninth hole to reach within two.
Kim’s brave assault was thwarted by an unfortunate event. Her approach to the 18th hole smashed into the flag and careered in the water, resulting in a double bogey, a score of 66, for 11 under.
The final group was still in a tight battle. Tavatanakit missed a great birdie chance on 14, and she must have felt bad when Boutier made an unlikely bogey on the same green. The leader’s first shoogle was evident.
She later confessed, “That was stupid.”
Boutier’s par save at the 15th was remarkable, but Tavatanakit was dealt a fatal blow when she fluffed the chip in a similar treacherous situation and wrote a double bogey on her card. Stark was the second member of the last group to fall away, but the forces were still at play.
Hyo-Joo, who was a major winner in 2014, made a valiant effort and birdied the last hole to finish off a blistering 65, setting the clubhouse goal of 13-under. Boutier’s bogey at 16 reduced Kim’s advantage to one stroke as she was trotting into the recording booth. But there was no panic. The 17th hole was a raking birdie, and she could now enjoy the relatively carefree 18th. You’re ready to gulp down the champagne of victory? Not quite.
She said, “I will celebrate next week after this breathless golf spell that I am currently immersed in.”
Gemma Dryburgh, who is playing at home, finished with a score of 74 (level-par) while Louise Duncan shot a score of 73 (4 over).
Boutier was the star of the day. Again.
