Boutier triumphs after nine-hole playoff at Maybank
Celine Boutier: I knew she wasn't going to make a mistake, so I had to go for it. Picture: PA
Celine Boutier recorded a birdie on the ninth playoff hole to defeat Thailand's Atthaya Thitikul on Sunday at the Maybank Championship at Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.
After battling through eight holes and weathering the storm of a 90-minute storm delay, Boutier sank a 6-foot putt at the Kuala Lumpur Golf and Country Club course to clinch her fourth title of the season and sixth in her career.
The nine-hole playoff tied the record for second-longest in LPGA Tour history.
"Yeah, I didn't expect it to be that long, to be honest," said Boutier, who carded a bogey-free round to finish at 8-under-par 64 on Sunday and 21-under 267 for the tournament. The 29-year-old Frenchwoman highlighted her stretch with birdies on Nos. 3-5 and 11-13 en route to pocketing $450,000 for her first-place finish.
"I was just trying to do my best each hole and each time I had an opportunity to have a playoff, and I feel like we were both very close to winning a few times, and I just feel like we just had to make a birdie, essentially," Boutier said. "I knew she wasn't going to make a mistake, so I had to go for it and give myself the best chances for birdies. I feel like she's an amazing player, and so I feel like it was definitely nerve-racking, but I just feel very happy to have held on for that long."
Thitikul birdied the 18th hole to finish with a 68 on Sunday. As for the playoff, well...
"It's exhausting. It's like -- it's pretty tiring, to be honest. But I think it's the best playoff I ever had in my life. Even if I lose, but I feel like, oh, damn, we played so good," she said. "... I feel a lot more confident with my game now. I fought really hard on the playoff, and both of us are hitting really great shots and it paid off. It just goes to someone who did it better."
Rookie sensation Rose Zhang, who held a one-stroke lead heading into the final round, carded a 71 to end up in a tie for third place at 19 under with Thailand's Jasmine Suwannapura (70).
Stephanie Meadow had a final round of 70 to finish at 10 under overall. The result moved the Jordanstown player up one place to 66th on the Race to CME Globe rankings in her bid to make the top 60 who will compete in the Tour Championship.
Leona Maguire finished on eight under in a tie for 34th.
Meanwhile, American Alison Lee rounded off her record-breaking week in style with a commanding victory in the Aramco Team Series in Saudi Arabia.
Lee carded a final round of 65 at Riyadh Golf Club to finish 29 under par and eight shots clear of Spain's Solheim Cup star Carlota Ciganda, with England's Charley Hull another three strokes back in third.
Lee's winning total set a new 54-hole scoring record on the Ladies European Tour and also equalled the best achieved over 72 holes.
"I've played some really good golf this week and putted even better," the 28-year-old said.
"I hit almost every green, gave myself plenty of birdie opportunities, and made a lot of them count with aggressive, confident play. I had a lot of fun out there and I'm delighted with the win because any tournament is difficult to win."
