Celine Boutier crowned LPGA Malaysia champion after epic nine-hole playoff - here’s everything you need to know about her!

Focus

By AHMAD AQMAL AHMAD RAHMAN

30 Oct 2023 10:45am

France's Celine Boutier celebrates with the trophy after winning in the final round of the Maybank Championship - Photo by Mohd Rasfan/AFP

SHAH ALAM - The Maybank Championship closed off with an epic nine-hole playoff at the Kuala Lumpur Golf and Country Club with Celine Boutier coming out on top for her sixth career victory.

The golfer from Montrouge, France had qualified for the LPGA tour after she finished top 44 at the 2016 LPGA Final Qualifying Tournament to earn her membership for the 2017 season.

This championship marked her sixth career victory with her previous wins being in the 2019 ISPS Handa Vic Open, 2021 ShopRite LPGA Classic presented by Acer, 2023 LPGA Drive On Championship at Superstition Mountain, 2023 Amundi Evian Championship and the FREED Group Women's Scottish Open presented by Trust Golf.

Boutier had earned 500 points and was projected to remain in the top spot for the Race to the CME Globe which was a season-long points competition where LPGA members accumulate points through every official LPGA tournament.

Her earnings after she received the winner’s check of $450,000 had reached $2,730,340 this season and $6,481,238 in her LPGA Tour career.

Boutier performance in 2023 had her playing 20 events with 18 cuts made and earned a total of $2,730,340 with four wins and four additional top 10 finishes.

She was the first player this season to secure four victories since Nelly Korda (four wins) and Jin Young Ko (Five Wins) who did so in 2021.

Boutier with her victory would earn 30 points placing her first in the Rolex Player of the Year standings which was previously led by Lilia Vu by 27 points prior to the Maybank Championship.

Vu had three victories in 2023 (The Honda LPGA Thailand, The Chevron Championship, AIG Women’s Open).

There were three 2023 two-time winners including Jin Young Ko (HSBC Women’s World Championship, Cognizant Founders Cup), Ruoning Yin (DIO Implant Open, KPMG Women’s PGA Championship) and Minjee Lee (Kroger Queen City Championship, BMW Ladies Championship).

Boutier had also won a playoff to claim her first victory of the season defeating Georgia Hall at the first playoff hole at the LPGA Drive On Championship at Superstition Mountain.

Boutier was a four-time winner on the Ladies European Tour and a two-time winner on the Epson Tour which included the 2017 Self Regional Healthcare Foundation Women’s Health Classic and 2017 Sioux Falls GreatLIFE Challenge.

She has represented Europe in three Solheim cups in the years 2019, 2021 and 2023 along with representing France in the 2020 Tokyo Olympics where she placed top 34.