So in Celine Boutier, France can finally celebrate a winner of the Evian Championship! Boutier never looked like shipping the lead she immediately extended at the start of her final round, serenely progressing around the Evian Resort and ending the week with four sub-70 rounds, the only player to do so. A thorough and systematic dismantling of the rest of the field. Brooke Henderson will be proud of her title defence, while Gaby Lopez, Celine Borge and Gemma Dryburgh posted career-high major finishes. But this is all about Boutier, who has become France’s fourth major-winning golfer of all time. Congratulations to Boutier … and thanks for reading this live blog. See you again for the final day of the British Open!
-14: Celine Boutier
-8: Brooke Henderson
-7: Gaby Lopez, Celine Borge, Kim A-lim, Yuka Saso, Nasa Hataoka
-6: Gemma Dryburgh
-5: Atthaya Thitikul, Megan Khang, Kim Su-ji, Rose Zhang, Nelly Korda
-4: Jennifer Kupcho, Esther Henseleit
-3: Morgane Matraux, Stephanie Kyriacou, Linn Grant, Minjee Lee
A delighted Boutier then gives a shout out to her family. “They helped me stay grounded … it’s really sweet to be able to share it with them … I wouldn’t be here without them … in golf you can always play better but I was steady in all four rounds … I was satisfied with my game this week … nothing else matters now I have this trophy, so I am really good for the rest of the year!” She is absolutely beaming, certain to enjoy this moment, the fulfilment of a long-held dream. A class act both on and off the golf course, and a most deserving champion.
