France’s Celine Boutier delighted the home fans by claiming her first major title with a commanding victory in the Amundi Evian Championship at Evian Resort Golf Club.
The Solheim Cup star stormed to a six-stroke victory with a closing round of 69 to finish on 14 under par and become the first player from France to win the championship since it was designated a major, and only the third ever French player to win a major after Catherine LaCoste in 1967 and Patricia Meunier-Lebouc in 2003.
Canada’s Brooke Henderson took second, with five players sharing third on seven under. Scotland’s Gemma Dryburgh recorded her best result in a major as a closing 69 left her in eighth place on six under.
It was a dream start for Boutier, who rolled in back-to-back birdies on her opening two holes before she added another birdie on the fifth to make the turn in 32 and extend her advantage at the top of the leaderboard. Despite a dropped shot on 13, the Frenchwoman bounced back with a birdie on 15 and was able to walk up 18 and make her par to seal a memorable victory.
“That was pretty unexpected,” said Boutier, who had never finished better than 29th in six previous appearances in her home major. “I definitely felt like I handled the first few holes really well. I had a good opportunity on one and the putt on two was a bonus. The conditions were so tough I felt like it could go either way really fast, so I just tried to stay focused on each shot and each hole at a time because I felt it was pretty challenging with the wind.
“Honestly, it has been my biggest dream since I started watching golf. “This tournament has always been very special to me, even just watching as a teenager and just to be able to hold this trophy is unbelievable. I think nothing else matters this year now that I have this trophy.”
Boutier praised the calming effect of her friends and family during the week. “I feel they definitely helped me this week to stay grounded and keep my mind off golf away from the golf course,” the 29-year-old said. “It’s really sweet to be able to share it with them and I definitely wouldn’t be here without them.”
For all the scores from the Evian Championship, click here.
