Celine Boutier sinks a 35-foot birdie putt on the 14th, snatches the lead, and claims victory at the LPGA ShopRite tournament – what a finish!
Boutier Flips the Switch – ShopRite Victory Goes to France!
This marks her seventh LPGA title and her first since the 2023 Maybank Championship – where the Frenchwoman teed it up in Malaysia. For Boutier herself, this victory was "very special," a tournament particularly close to her heart. No wonder she was "super-excited" to deliver here again.
A stellar round of five-under-par, a 66 on the scorecard, propelled her to an overall nine-under 204 strokes at Seaview Golf Club in Galloway, New Jersey. This was enough for a nail-biting one-stroke victory over Thailand's Arpichaya Yubol. Ireland's Lauren Walsh finished at 206, followed by Germany's Polly Mack, Japan's Chizzy Iwai, and South Koreans Lee So-mi and Joo Soo-bin, who all came into the clubhouse at 207.
This triumph caps off a golden weekend for French sports: Paris Saint-Germain clinched the UEFA Champions League, and Victor Wembanyama led the San Antonio Spurs past the reigning Oklahoma City Thunder into the NBA Finals. Who says France can only do baguettes and cheese!
Boutier, who had to overcome a four-stroke deficit on the final day, once again demonstrated her comeback qualities. She had already claimed the title here in 2021 in the final stretch. "It's always good to come back here," Boutier said. "I definitely have some good memories." Her only major title dates back to the 2023 Evian Championship, and her last victory on the Ladies European Tour was celebrated in Shenzhen, China, in 2024.
"I've played solid for the past two years, even if the big win eluded me. They were good seasons, even without victories. That was a bit frustrating," Boutier admitted. "I started slowly this season. I feel like my game has turned around in the last few weeks. I could see everything coming together." A smile flickered across her face: "But that it would happen exactly this week and today, I definitely did not see coming. But I'm very excited to be back in the winner's circle!"
Joo Soo-bin almost donned her first LPGA crown. The 22-year-old, ranked 252nd in the world, started with a four-stroke lead but squandered it throughout the day. With a five-foot birdie putt on the ninth, she briefly caught up to Boutier. But Boutier remained unfazed and responded on the 14th with another 35-foot birdie putt, reclaiming the solo lead at nine-under-par – and never relinquished it until the end.
Next week is the US Women's Open at Riviera, and Boutier is already speculating what a victory there would mean: "It would be iconic," she assessed. "I believe that will be a completely different setup than this week, so I'm looking forwar
