Celine Boutier has three LPGA wins. A victory this week, though, would be her biggest by far.
After 36 holes at the 2023 Amundi Evian Championship in Evian-Les-Bains, France, the fourth of five LPGA majors in 2023, Boutier, a native of the host nation, holds a one-shot lead after hitting 10 of 13 fairways and 15 of 18 greens Friday.
Boutier has posted rounds of 66 and 69 to get to 7 under for the championship. She has 10 birdies and just three bogeys over the first two days.
She admitted to feeling the nerves of playing on home soil in a major.
“It’s definitely not easy. I feel like in the past I’ve definitely, you know, not handled it very well. I just feel like I put a lot of pressure on myself because I don’t want to disappoint anybody,” she said.”If I learned anything from the past, I really have to just focus on the job and on the course, on each shot. I feel like that’s really helped me really stay focused and not get ahead or think too much about the plans.”
Boutier is trying to treat this like any other tournament but there’s no avoiding things like doing news conferences twice, in two different languages.
“I feel like it’s a positive thing that the French media is talking about women’s golf and Evian,” she said. “I feel like anything I can do to bring more attention to the tournament and women’s golf, in general, is always a good thing.”
Heres some other things you should know about Friday’s second round.
Pair of aces on the same hole
First, something fun.
On the second hole during Friday’s second round, Emma Talley struck paydirt, acing the par-3 hole.
Hole-in-one alert! ⛳️@talley_emma hit her pitching wedge 153 yards on the 2nd hole at @EvianChamp pic.twitter.com/j42dYETlOG
— LPGA (@LPGA) July 28, 2023
Talley is 4 over for the week after rounds of 73-73. Her ace helped her make the cut right on the number.
Amateur Saki Baba got in on the fun as well, also acing the second hole. Baba shot back-to-back 74s and missed the cut by two.
🚨 ACE ALERT 🚨
The second hole-in-one of the day!! 😯
Saki Baba (a) aced the 16th hole with her 9-iron! pic.twitter.com/zbpCg3o9wD
— LPGA (@LPGA) July 28, 2023
Tavatanakit finding her form
It’s not been a season to remember for Patty Tavatanakit. She has just one top-10 finish in 2023 and recently went through a stretch of four straight missed cuts before a tie for 27th at the U.S. Women’s Open at Pebble Beach. That’s actually her second-best finish this year.
Tavatanakit, who has a major on her resume at the 2021 ANA Inspiration, has gone 69-67 so far at Evian Resort Golf Club and is 6 under, tied with Yuka Saso for second.
What about Rose?
The Evian marks the fifth LPGA start as a pro for Rose Zhang. Of those five, this is already her third major as a pro.
She famously won her first event as a pro then posted top-10s in the KMPG and U.S. Women’s Open. This is also the first time Zhang is playing having missed a cut the last time out, as she did at the Dana Open two weeks ago.
Zhang opened the 2023 Evian with a 2-under 69 round that featured six birdies but also four bogeys. On Friday, she had another colorful scorecard, including a triple-bogey 7 on the par-5 ninth hole but signed for an even-par round of 71 and is tied for 12th.
First-round leader slides back
After missing the cut at the first three majors, Paula Reto showed out Thursday, posting a first-round 64. Friday wasn’t so great, as she struggled to a 75. But, she’s at 3 under and tied for eighth, and still in contention heading to the weekend.
Other notables to make the cut of 4 over:
- Jin Young Ko, 2 under
- Minjee Lee, 2 under
- Linn Grant, 2 under
- Lilia Vu, 1 under
- Lydia Ko, even
- Nelly Korda, 1 over
- Allisen Corpuz, 2 over
36 down, 36 to go
Halfway through the @EvianChamp 🏆
Who will become the next major winner? pic.twitter.com/hQTXBStQDw
— LPGA (@LPGA) July 29, 2023
