Tag: 2023 Amundi Evian Championship

Her head was still in the clouds, and so were Celine Boutier’s clubs prior to the Women’s Scottish Open

Of course, dreams don’t last forever. And while Boutier was still riding high on Tuesday, her clubs were just riding.

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As could be expected, Celine Boutier was teeming with emotion after securing her first major victory at the Amundi Evian Championship, causing her to skip a few REM cycles after she traveled to Paris to celebrate the historic title.

Boutier became a French icon after her win on home soil, taking the crown by a comfortable margin by finishing the tournament at 14 under which was good enough for a six-stroke victory over runner-up Brooke Henderson.

Time spent with family and friends after the victory had her so revved up that she couldn’t sleep in advance of her media appearance at the Freed Group Women’s Scottish Open, which will take place this week at Dundonald Links in Ayrshire, Scotland.

And who needs a sleep cycle? Boutier insisted all week that winning the Amundi Evian would be a “dream scenario,” one that would make her season, if not her career, complete.

Of course, dreams don’t last forever. And while Boutier was still riding high on Tuesday, her clubs were just riding. When she arrived on-site in Scotland the Duke University product’s clubs had yet to finish the trip.

“First day off for me today,” she said, “but hopefully they will get on the next flight that’s coming tonight.”

It’s about the only thing that has gone wrong for Boutier over the last few days. She entered the Amundi Evian with three LPGA victories and three wins on the Ladies European Tour, but left with the prize she most coveted. Still, she’s smart enough to realize how fleeting success can be at this level.

“I think winning at any level is difficult. I think especially on the LPGA, the talent is just unbelievable and it’s very hard to be able to pull it off, and to be able to do it in major conditions is even harder because of the pressure and because of what it means because of the history,” she said. “And so I feel like, yeah, the fact that I had a chance to even play for the win on Sunday was already a big win for me, and to have the crowd behind you, I feel like it definitely also like carried me a little bit.”

2023 Amundi Evian Championship
Celine Boutier celebrates with the Amundi Evian Championship trophy following victory in the Amundi Evian Championship at Evian Resort Golf Club on July 30, 2023, in Evian-les-Bains, France. (Photo by Stuart Franklin/Getty Images)

As for the final celebration, which included more champagne than even Botuier could have imaged, it’s something she’s been replaying in her mind ever since she clinched the crown.

“I never really pictured how it was going to happen. Obviously, it was such a dream for me. I wouldn’t even call it a goal for me this year. I obviously wanted to perform well in the majors,” she said. “But in the past I was never really able to play well in Evian, just the pressure of everything was a lot for me to handle and this year, I just decided to really do it for myself and not put so much pressure on myself. The fact that I even had a chance to play for the win in the final round was a big advantage for me and to pull it off on the final day to, have the crowd behind you, which I never imagined that they would be so loud and so energetic, so passionate about it.

“It felt like a win for me and it felt like a win for them as well. To be able to share it with everyone in my home country is an absolute dream come true.”

There’s no rest for the weary, however, as Boutier now prepares to meet up with an impressive field this week at the Scottish Open — a total of seven of the year’s 15 winners are expected to play, including Ashleigh Buhai (ShopRite LPGA Classic), Allisen Corpuz (U.S. Women’s Open), Linn Grant (Dana Open), Cheyenne Knight (Dow Great Lakes Bay Invitational), Lilia Vu (Honda LPGA Thailand, Chevron Championship) and Ruoning Yin (DIO Implant LA Open, KPMG Women’s PGA Championship).

And Boutier’s mother and sister are still in tow, as they often make the trip to European stops when possible. Although the Evian was the one she truly wanted, Boutier said she’d be thrilled to play well this week, perhaps getting to celebrate again with her family and friends.

“That would be unbelievable. I feel like Scotland is definitely the Home of Golf, so it would be a goal of mine to win in Scotland for sure during my career,” she said. “So any opportunity I will have to play for the win, I will definitely try to seize it and do my best.”

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2023 Amundi Evian Championship prize money payouts for each LPGA player

It pays to play well in LPGA majors.

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It pays to play well on the LPGA, especially at the major championships. Just ask this week’s winner, Celine Boutier.

The 29-year-old Frenchwoman claimed her first major title on Sunday at the 2023 Amundi Evian Championship at the Evian Resort Golf Club in Evian-les-Bains, France. The Duke product shot rounds of 66-69-67-68 to finish at 14 under, six shots clear of runner-up at defending champion Brooke Henderson.

For her efforts, Boutier will take home a cool $1 million, with Henderson earning $585,967. Nasa Hataoka, A Lim Kim, Yuka Saso, Celine Borge and Gaby Lopez each finished T-3 at 7 under and earned $283,278.

Check out the prize money payouts for each LPGA player at the 2023 Amundi Evian Championship at the Evian Resort.

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2023 Amundi Evian Championship prize money

Position Player Score Earnings
1 Celine Boutier -14 $1,000,000
2 Brooke Henderson -8 $585,967
T3 Nasa Hataoka -7 $283,278
T3 A Lim Kim -7 $283,278
T3 Yuka Saso -7 $283,278
T3 Celine Borge -7 $283,278
T3 Gaby Lopez -7 $283,278
8 Gemma Dryburgh -6 $158,805
T9 Atthaya Thitikul -5 $122,100
T9 Rose Zhang -5 $122,100
T9 Su Ji Kim -5 $122,100
T9 Megan Khang -5 $122,100
T9 Nelly Korda -5 $122,100
T14 Jennifer Kupcho -4 $95,922
T14 Esther Henseleit -4 $95,922
T16 Morgane Metraux -3 $81,808
T16 Linn Grant -3 $81,808
T16 Stephanie Kyriacou -3 $81,808
T16 Minjee Lee -3 $81,808
T20 Min-Ji Park -2 $65,045
T20 Eun Hee Ji -2 $65,045
T20 Hyo Joo Kim -2 $65,045
T20 Alison Lee -2 $65,045
T20 Anna Nordqvist -2 $65,045
T20 Ashleigh Buhai -2 $65,045
T20 Angel Yin -2 $65,045
T20 Jin Young Ko -2 $65,045
T28 Johanna Gustavsson -1 $47,560
T28 Sarah Schmelzel -1 $47,560
T28 Jodi Ewart Shadoff -1 $47,560
T28 Wei-Ling Hsu -1 $47,560
T28 Ariya Jutanugarn -1 $47,560
T28 Moriya Jutanugarn -1 $47,560
T28 Sarah Kemp -1 $47,560
T28 Ryann O’Toole -1 $47,560
T36 Wichanee Meechai E $35,610
T36 Ayaka Furue E $35,610
T36 Georgia Hall E $35,610
T36 Amy Yang E $35,610
T36 Peiyun Chien E $35,610
T36 In Gee Chun E $35,610
T42 Linnea Strom 1 $27,910
T42 Albane Valenzuela 1 $27,910
T42 Aditi Ashok 1 $27,910
T42 Hae Ran Ryu 1 $27,910
T42 Leona Maguire 1 $27,910
T42 Lilia Vu 1 $27,910
T48 Daniela Darquea 2 $22,649
T48 Patty Tavatanakit 2 $22,649
T48 Miyu Yamashita 2 $22,649
T48 Mi Hyang Lee 2 $22,649
T48 Hye-Jin Choi 2 $22,649
53 Minami Katsu 3 $20,530
T54 Allisen Corpuz 4 $18,607
T54 Elizabeth Szokol 4 $18,607
T54 Pauline Roussin 4 $18,607
T54 Jenny Shin 4 $18,607
T54 Ji Yai Shin 4 $18,607
T59 Hinako Shibuno 5 $16,363
T59 Angela Stanford 5 $16,363
T61 Sung Hyun Park 6 $14,758
T61 Cheyenne Knight 6 $14,758
T61 Karis Davidson 6 $14,758
T61 Min Lee 6 $14,758
T61 Lydia Ko 6 $14,758
T61 Stephanie Meadow 6 $14,758
T61 Yan Liu 6 $14,758
68 Paula Reto 7 $13,472
69 Pernilla Lindberg 8 $13,153
70 Emma Talley 15 $12,834

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Celine Boutier captures 2023 Amundi Evian Championship on home soil for first major title

Capping off a dream week, the native of Clamart, France, stormed to her first major championship on home soil.

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After her third round on Saturday, Celine Boutier admitted she was playing “mind games” with herself, trying hard to pretend that the 2023 Amundi Evian was just another tournament, similar to the countless events she’s played since becoming an LPGA rookie in 2017.

“I was kind of half-joking, but I feel like the fact that my family is here and we’re staying in a house 15, 20 minutes away kind of really helps me take my mind off golf and the tournament,” Boutier said on Saturday. “I feel like that’s been helpful for me to really kind of relax and not think about golf.”

But alas, this was no ordinary event. And Boutier delivered an extraordinary performance — one that her countrymen will remember for a long time.

Capping off a dream week, the native of Clamart, France, stormed to her first major championship on home soil, taking the crown at the 2023 Amundi Evian Championship by a comfortable margin. With fans cheering wildly at Evian Resort Golf Club, Boutier finished the tournament at 14 under, marking a six-stroke victory over runner-up Brooke Henderson.

Even with a three-stroke edge heading into the final round, Boutier came storming out of the gates on Sunday, posting birdies on three of the first five holes to run away from the field. Boutier, who insisted all week that a victory at the Evian would be a dream scenario, brought three LPGA titles into the week and three Ladies European Tour wins as well, including the French Open in 2021.

But this was clearly the crowning achievement of an already impressive career. Fans, organizers and even local media seemed moved by the magnitude of the victory, one that put the spotlight on French golf.

“Honestly, it has been my biggest dream ever since I started watching golf,” Boutier said after holing out a par putt on the 18th hole. “This tournament has always been very special to me, just even watching as a teenager and just to be able to hold this trophy, it’s pretty unbelievable.”

When asked if this title could be a springboard to bigger things this season, Boutier explained that this was the thing she coveted dearly.

“I think nothing else matters now that I have this trophy,” she said. “So I’m really good for the rest of the year.”

Celine Boutier of France looks on during the Final Round of the Amundi Evian Championship at Evian Resort Golf Club on July 30, 2023, in Evian-les-Bains, France. (Photo by Stuart Franklin/Getty Images)

Henderson, meanwhile, appeared to making a run on the front nine, as she used birdies on the fourth and ninth holes to get to 9 under, but a bogey on No. 12 seemed to take any steam out of her charge. She finished at 8 under for the tournament and 1 under for the day.

The Canadian has enjoyed plenty of success at this event, posting six top-25 finishes, but has yet to capture the crown.

“I love coming here to France. The atmosphere, the people are amazing. This course is so beautiful and a lot of fun to play,” Henderson said. “I feel like we have a good strategy for it now which is exciting. To finish I think T2 this year is amazing after coming off the win last year. I’m really proud of that. Celine played amazing, so really happy for her too.”

Nelly Korda, who fired a 64 on Saturday, didn’t enjoy as much success in the final round, shooting a 72 to finish 5 under, pushing her into a crowded tie for ninth with Rose Zhang, Atthaya Thitikul, Megan Khang and Su Ji Kim.

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Photos: Nasa Hataoka through the years

View photos of Nasa Hataoka throughout her professional career.

Already with double-digit wins before the age of 25, Nasa Hataoka is a force to be reckoned with in professional golf.

With six wins on the LPGA Tour since joining in 2018, Hataoka is still looking for her first major title. In fewer than 30 major starts, Hataoka has racked up eight top-10 finishes with five finishes inside the top five.

Her closest call with a major title came at the 2021 U.S. Women’s Open. In a playoff against Yuka Saso, she finished runner up at the Olympic Club. Hataoka suffered a similar fate at the 2018 KPMG Women’s PGA Championship.

Bound to etch her name into the history books eventually, it’s not a question of if Nasa Hataoka will ever win a major, but when.

After turning to old driver, Nelly Korda fires round-low 64 at 2023 Evian Championship

Korda is right back in the mix at Evian Resort.

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It hasn’t been pretty for Nelly Korda over her last few starts on the LPGA. She missed the cut at both the Cognizant Founders Cup and the KPMG Women’s PGA before tying for 64th at the U.S. Women’s Open.

Korda did, however, win the Ladies European Tour event in London two weeks ago.

That mojo didn’t fully carry over into this week’s Amundi Evian Championship, as the world No. 2 opened with rounds of 70-73 and was 1 over through 36 holes at Evian Resort Golf Club.

Korda went off early Saturday morning and had an old friend in the bag: a Titleist TSR1. She signed with TaylorMade in January and was using a Stealth 2.

She wasn’t asked about the change after her round, but she did say the low round was “relieving.”

“Honestly, relieving. It was super nice to see all the hard work kind of pay off today. Obviously still have 18 more holes, anything can happen, but I made a push today on moving day, which I’m really happy about,” Korda said.

The 25-year-old will begin Sunday’s final round five back of leader Celine Boutier. Korda tees off alongside Yuka Saso at 6:05 a.m. ET. Coverage on Golf Channel will run from 5:30-11 a.m. ET.

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Celine Boutier holds three-shot lead on home soil at 2023 Evian Championship

Can Boutier close the deal on Sunday with several big names chasing her down?

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Celine Boutier is the 15th-ranked player in the world, has won three times on the LPGA, has played in two Solheim Cups and represented France at the Olympics. But if she wins Sunday, she’ll elevate her career to the next level.

Boutier holds a three-shot lead after 54 holes of the 2023 Amundi Evian Championship at Evian Resort Golf Club in Evian-les-Bains, France.

The 29-year-old followed up her first two rounds (66-69) with a 4-under 67 on Saturday to solidify her spot atop the leaderboard at 11 under.

The Frenchwoman will have to hold off a slew of big-name players on Sunday if she wants to hoist her first major championship trophy on home soil.

The low round of the day belonged to Nelly Korda, who shot a bogey-free 7-under 64. She rocketed up the board on Day 3, now sitting at T-5 with Yuka Saso, five back of Boutier.

Nasa Hataoka is alone in second at 8 under while Minjee Lee and Brooke Henderson are tied for third at 7 under.

Coverage of the final round will be available on Golf Channel from 5:30-11 a.m. ET Sunday.

Some big names missed the cut at the 2023 Amundi Evian Championship

There’s also a slew of big-name LPGA golfers who are done for the week at Evian Resort Golf Club

They’re heading to the weekend at the 2023 Amundi Evian Championship, with Celine Boutier leading on home soil after 36 holes.

Others making the cut include Brooke Henderson, Jin Young Ko, Minjee Lee, Rose Zhang, Lydia Ko and Nelly Korda (on her birthday).

Carlota Ciganta won’t play the weekend not because of a missed cut but because of a disqualification after Thursday’s first round. She officially was booted for signing an incorrect scorecard after being put on the clock for slow play.

There’s also a slew of big-name LPGA golfers who are already done for the week after missing the cut at Evian Resort Golf Club in Evians-Les-Bains, France, site of the fourth of five LPGA majors this year.

Carlota Ciganda refuses slow-play penalty, gets DQ’d from LPGA’s Evian major

The DQ was for signing an incorrect scorecard.

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Carlota Ciganda, a two-time winner on the LPGA and a five-time member of the European Solheim Cup team, was disqualified after the first round of the 2023 Amundi Evian Championship, the fourth LPGA major of the season.

The official reason was for signing an incorrect scorecard, but the situation arose out of a slow-play penalty assessed on Ciganda’s final hole of the round. The Spaniard refused to acknowledge a two-shot penalty, signed her card without adding the two shots, then was DQ’d.

Ciganda was 3 over after her round, not counting the penalty strokes. The penalty would have pushed her score to 5-over 76, and she would have trailed first-round leader Paula Reto by 12 shots.

Ciganda was playing with fellow Arizona State alum Anna Nordqvist as well as Celine Herbin. Officially Group 14, the threesome started on the 10th hole Thursday at Evian Resort Golf Club in Evain-Les-Bains, France.

When they got to the seventh hole, their 16th hole of the day, they were notified by rules officials that they were out of position.

After failing to make up time, the group was put on the clock on the eighth hole, their 17th of the round. On the ninth hole, Ciganda took too long to play and was assessed a two-stroke penalty per the LPGA’s pace of play policy.

As was her right, she appealed to the advance and lead rules officials but was denied, meaning the two-stroke penalty would stick. She opted to sign her scorecard without accounting for those two strokes. Ciganda was told if she left the official recording area having turned in a signed incorrect scorecard, she would be disqualified. The LPGA said she left of her own accord, leading to the DQ.

An LPGA spokesperson told Golfweek: “Rule 3.3b(3) states that if a returned score is lower than the actual score, the player is disqualified from the competition. The exception to this Rule does not apply because Ciganda was aware of the penalty strokes received and upheld before signing her scorecard and leaving the recording area.”

Ciganda tied for 12th in her most recent event, the Dana Open, following a tie for 20th at the U.S. Women’s Open and a tie for third at the KPMG Women’s PGA Championship. She ranks 14th on this year’s money list with $876,447, and she is No. 31 in the Rolex Women’s World Rankings. She won both her LPGA titles in 2016.

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Photos: Alison Lee through the years

View photos of U.S. golfer Alison Lee throughout her junior and professional career.

Alison Lee, one of the most underrated Americans, is still looking to break through with her first LPGA win.

A highly decorated junior golfer, Lee represented the United States on three Junior Solheim Cup teams, helping the Americans win all three (2009, 2011, 2013). With two Junior Ryder Cup appearances (2010, 2012) and a Curtis Cup roster spot in 2014, Lee took her talents to the University of California Los Angeles.

At UCLA, Lee played just one season for the Bruins after winning the final stage of LPGA Q school, locking up her LPGA card and full status for the 2015 season.

Ever since, Lee has had plenty of close calls with 18 career top-10 finishes. She looks to break through with a win soon and is trending in the right direction. Look for Lee to be a factor in a handful of majors and non-majors throughout 2023 and into 2024.

Busy leaderboard highlights what we learned Thursday at 2023 Amundi Evian Championship

A handful of big names stumbled out the gate in France on Thursday.

The first round of the fourth women’s major championship of the year didn’t disappoint Thursday as some of the world’s best got off to hot starts at the 2023 Amundi Evian Championship.

A total of 49 players made their way around the Evian Resort’s Championship course under par in the opening round in Evian-les-Bains, France, and it’s Paula Reto leading the way at 7 under. Four players are tied for second at 5 under, with another nine all locked at T-6 at 4 under.

From the players who stepped up to the big names who stumbled, here’s what we learned from the first round of the 2023 Amundi Evian Championship.