Celine Boutier eyes back-to-back wins, leads Scottish Open by three shots
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France's Celine Boutier won last week’s Evian Championship on home soil for her maiden Major,.
PHOTO: AFP
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TROON – In-form Frenchwoman Celine Boutier moved into position to lift a trophy for the second consecutive Sunday after firing a six-under 66 to seize the lead at the Women’s Scottish Open.
She finished Saturday’s third round on 13-under 203, alone at the top of the leaderboard. Sweden’s Maja Stark, who battled to a 72 that included three bogeys in her closing nine holes, was three shots back.
Thai Patty Tavatanakit will join them in the championship flight. She rolled in two eagles en route to a 66 and was also on 10-under 206 with Stark.
A birdie on the 18th hole gave Swede Madelene Sagstrom a 68 and fourth place on 207. A further stroke adrift was Denmark’s Nicole Broch Estrup (68).
Overnight leader Hinako Shibuno of Japan had a day to forget at Dundonald Links in Ayrshire as she fell backwards with a 77 that dropped her to joint-sixth on 209 with Sweden’s Caroline Hedwall (67) and Australian Sarah Kemp (72).
All eyes will be on Boutier, 29, though. The world No. 4, who won last week’s Evian Championship on home soil for her maiden Major, got off to a hot start in round three. She birdied four of her first seven holes before a bogey on No. 9 temporarily halted her momentum.
She also dropped a shot on the tricky par-three 15th hole but rolled in birdies on No. 12, 14, 17 and 18 to charge up the standings.
She was also the 54-hole leader at the 2022 edition but had to settle for second after Japan’s Ayaka Furue fired a final-day 62 to win. Boutier carded a 69. Nevertheless, Boutier has now managed seven consecutive rounds in the 60s on this course.
Based on her performances so far in windy and difficult conditions at this tournament, Boutier will not only fancy her chances of claiming a second victory in two weeks but will also be among the favourites at next week’s Women’s British Open, the year’s fifth and final Major.
Stark and Patty, both 23, know they have nothing to lose though as they chase down Boutier.
World No. 41 Stark, who missed the cut at Evian, is seeking her second LPGA Tour title, after her victory at the 2022 ISPS Handa World Invitational in Northern Ireland. Patty, ranked 86th, has not returned to the winner’s circle since her maiden Tour victory at the 2021 ANA Inspiration.
