It’s the kind of déjà vu Celine Boutier is happy to take part in – another trophy, another winner’s check and another victory to add to the resume. All was but a dream for the Frenchwoman on Sunday, who after coming just short in 2022 at Dundonald with a second-place finish, conquered the Scottish links to win her second-consecutive LPGA Tour event at the FREED GROUP Women’s Scottish Open presented by Trust Golf at -13. She is the first person since Ariya Jutanugarn in 2016 to win a major and then the tournament after, as well as the first to win back-to-back tournaments since Jin Young Ko claimed victories at the Cognizant Founders Cup and BMW Ladies Championship.

“I don’t even think I could have dreamt that it would happen but yeah, I mean, it’s just been amazing to be able to play that well and I feel like to even have the chance to be in contention in the weekend this week was a complete bonus,” said Boutier. “To be able to hold the trophy again this week has been pretty insane.”

Boutier started Sunday steady, recording five-straight pars until carding her first birdie on No. 6 and added one more on 9 to take a three-stroke lead at the turn. She would record a birdie on 13 thanks to a solid 12-foot putt, but was shaken a bit after bogeys at 14 and 16 brought the field within range. But Boutier kept her head up, notching her last birdie of the day on 17 to win by two strokes over Hyo Joo Kim, as she heads into the final major championship of the year at the AIG Women’s Open a five-time victor on the LPGA Tour.

“I was definitely nervous. It’s tough to win out here and to be able to have the chances is always a little bit nerve-wracking. I feel like you always want to do your best but sometimes you can try to force it a little bit too much. Definitely after my first bogey, I kind of was a little bit disappointed of how it happened, just that three-putt was kind of stupid,” said Boutier. “There were some tough shots and I feel like it’s going to happen. I’ve been playing really good golf and sometimes my standard get way too high I guess but it is normal to make bogeys, so definitely tried to calm down a little bit and just try to go back to playing and hitting shots.”

Kim, who started the day in a tie for ninth, tied the low round of the day with a 7-under 65 to earn her sixth runner-up finish of her career and eighth-straight top-20 result. Kim only carded one bogey in her last 36 holes, and was the only bogey-free player in the final round. The reigning KPMG Women’s PGA Champion Ruoning Yin, who carded the most birdies through 72 holes with 24, finished in solo third at -12 after a 6-under 66.

A Lim Kim and Maja Stark tied for fourth at -11, with Kim carding a 66 and Stark a 71 on Sunday. It was a bit of a roller coast day for Stark, who played in the final grouping with Boutier and Patty Tavatanakit. Carding a birdie on her third hole, Stark unfortantely struggled on the par-3 fourth, finding the right greenside bunker off the tee to ultimately drop two shots heading to No. 5. But on the sixth, Stark masterfully notched her first ace in a Tour event, canceling out the double-bogey to get back to -11 overall. She recorded two bogeys on 14 and 16, similar to Boutier, before closing with a bird on the 18th to finish under par in the final 18 holes.

“I think I have the capacity to win,” said Stark. “If more things click and I have more of the Friday rounds next week where everything just falls into place at the same time, that would be great.”

Caroline Hedwall, Nicole Broch Estrup and Tavatanakit finished in a tie for sixth at -10, while four players rounded out the top 10 in a tie for ninth at -9, including American LPGA Tour winners Andrea Lee and Ally Ewing. Gemma Dryburgh ended the week as the low Scot, finishing in a tie for 44th at Even. Defending champion Ayaka Furue ultimately finished at +1 in a tie for 47th.

A LOOK AT THE CHAMPION

ABOUT THE CHAMPION

• Boutier hit 13 of 14 fairways and 16 of 18 greens, with 32 putts
  • She finished the week ranked third among most birdies made (22)
• This is the second-straight week where Boutier has converted a 54-hole lead into a victory
  • She is 3-for-3 this season after being 0-for-3 in her career entering 2023
• Boutier is the first player win back-to-back events since Jin Young Ko in 2021 at the Cognizant Founders Cup and BMW Ladies Championship
• She is the first player to win the Amundi Evian Championship and then the tournament after since the Championship was designated a major
• Boutier is the first player since Ariya Jutanugarn in 2016 to win any major championship and the tournament after (AIG Women’s Open and CPKC Women’s Open)
  • Boutier is the 14^th instance on Tour where a player has won a major and the tournament after
• She is the first player to reach at least three victories on Tour this season, following the LPGA Drive On Championship and the Amundi Evian Championship
  • She is the first since Lydia Ko in 2022 to win three times in one season
• Boutier is the seventh different winner of the FGWSO since it became a co-sanctioned event in 2017
• She crosses the $2 million mark in official season earnings, the third player on Tour to do so in 2023 joining Allisen Corpuz and Ruoning Yin
• This is Boutier’s sixth appearance at the FREED GROUP Women’s Scottish Open presented by Trust Golf
  • She has never missed a cut in this event
• This is Boutier’s 15th event of the 2023 season
  • Along with her three victories, she has earned three additional top-10 finishes
• This is Boutier’s seventh season on Tour
  • Along with her five career victories, she has also earned an additional 28 career top-10 results on Tour

THINGS TO KNOW

• Hyo Joo Kim tied the low round of the day with a 7-under 65 to get to finish in second at -13
  • This is her seventh top-10 finish of 2023, tied for second most on Tour with Nelly Korda and 2022 Women’s Scottish Open champion Ayaka Furue
    • Atthaya Thitikul has earned the most so far in 2023 with eight
  • She made 26 putts in the final round, with six of them made from 5+ feet
  • Her 65 is her lowest Sunday round recorded this season, and is her best final-round score since a 65 at the Dana Open
• Ruoning Yin’s Sunday 66 earned her a solo third finish at -12
  • She hit 16 of 18 greens in the final round, her average proximity to the hole from 75-100 yards was inside 11 feet and she hit nine approaches inside 15 feet
  • This is Yin’s first top-10 finish since her win at the KPMG Women’s PGA Championship
  • Her 66 is her lowest 18-hole score since the second round of the DIO Implant LA Open (64)
• A Lim Kim also carded a 6-under 66 to finish in a tie for fourth with Maja Stark
  • Kim’s 277 ties her season-low 72-hole score, also recorded at last week’s Amundi Evian Championship
  • Kim’s 66 is her lowest 18-hole score since a second-round 65 at The Chevron Championship
  • This is Kim’s second-consecutive top-four performance following a tie for third in France at the major
  • Stark’s ace on her No. 6 (142 yards, pitching wedge) was her first in an LPGA Tour event, and the 11th overall hole-in-one this season on Tour
    • The ace means an additional $20,000 to be donated through the season-long CME Group Cares Challenge – Score 1 for St. Jude, bringing the year’s donation total to $220,000 through 19 events
• 2022 Women’s Scottish Open champion Ayaka Furue finished tied for 47th in her title defense
• The final round was the first time all week the round scoring average dipped below 72 (71.042)
• The winner of the FREED GROUP Women’s Scottish Open presented by Trust Golf will gain an exemption into the AIG Women’s Open (if not otherwise exempt)
  • In addition, the three leading golfers, not already exempt, in the FGWSO will qualify for the AIG Women’s Open
  • In the event of a tie for the last qualifying spot, the Rolex Rankings at the start of the week will determine those qualifiers
  • Nicole Broch Estrup, Sarah Kemp and Arpichaya Yubol are confirmed to be the top-three qualifying players not otherwise exempt

QUOTABLE

Caroline Hedwall (T6, -10) on the gaining the confidence after the week she had at Dundonald Links:

“That was my mindset this week. I was going to try to trust myself a little bit more because I know that I’m hitting it really well but then when I get on the course, I start doubting it a little bit. I did that really well today and stepped back a couple of times, but just to clear my mind and get good thoughts and I did that really well, so I’m really proud of myself.

Ruoning Yin (3, -12) on what she felt worked well on the final day:

“Last week my driver and my approach shots, not quite me. So I think I’m just getting my game back this week. Especially today, my drive and my approach shot and my ball-striking is pretty solid.

Gemma Dryburgh (T44, E) on what it means to have the Women’s Scottish Open where it is on the LPGA Tour schedule:

“It’s really important. Next year at St Andrews, it will be nice to play this and then drive over to St Andrews. It’s just a fantastic way to warm up for The Open the week before. I like to play the week before if I can. Yeah, it will be great to have on the schedule next year. I think everyone loves it.”

TOURNAMENT SCORING RECORDS:

18 holes: 62, Tiffany Joh (2018, R1); Mi Jung Hur (2019, R2); Ayaka Furue (2022, R4)

36 holes: 128, Mi Jung Hur, 2019

54 holes: 197, Moriya Jutanugarn, 2019

72 holes: 264, Mi Jung Hur, 2019