LONDON: France’s Celine Boutier secured her first title of the year, delivering a 19-under-par performance to win the Aramco Team Series event at Mission Hills, China.
Boutier, who began the final day tied for the lead with home favorite Xiyu Lin, carded a bogey-free round for the second consecutive day to claim victory.
She said: “It was a great round. I definitely feel like we started really hot with (Lin), so it was fun to be able to battle it out. I’m very happy with my round (but) I wish a few putts had dropped. I was honestly super happy with how I handled today.”
Boutier acknowledged the intensity of the competition, adding: “It was close the whole day. One or two shots can swing pretty fast after one hole or two, so you definitely have to be on your toes until the end. I’m super happy with the way I played the last few holes.”
She also expressed her enthusiasm for China, saying: “I feel pretty good. I like China, so hopefully I can win some more tournaments here.”
Lin had a huge following while playing in front of her home crowd for the first time since winning bronze in Paris. (Supplied/Aramco Team Series)
Lin, playing in front of her home crowd for the first time since winning bronze in Paris, finished just two strokes behind Boutier at 17-under-par.
Despite the loss, Lin praised Boutier’s performance, saying: “Celine played unbelievably; a 7-under round and bogey-free is hard to beat, especially when my putter is not on. When I got to 18, I was two shots behind, so I knew I had a very slim chance.”
However, she remained optimistic, and added: “I had to give it 100 percent. I hit a good drive and probably one of the best 3-woods I made all week. It’s nice; I came up just short, but hearing the crowds cheering for me was pretty unbelievable.”
The battle for third place saw Shenzhen’s winning team captain, Chiara Tamburlini, and three-time winner Pauline Roussin-Bouchard finish tied, both recording the lowest rounds of the tournament at 65.
Roussin-Bouchard made a late charge with an eagle on the 16th hole, while Tamburlini fell just three strokes short of becoming the first player to win both the team and individual titles in the same event.
Noah Alireza, CEO of Golf Saudi, said: “What an incredible show of golf we experienced this weekend at the Aramco Team Series’ first visit to Shenzhen.
“On behalf of the Golf Saudi team, we extend a heartfelt congratulations to our exceptional winners, who continue to raise the standard of excellence in golf, inspiring players and fans worldwide.”
