LPGA: Celine Boutier leads Evian Championship in France after 54 holes

Celine Boutier has but to win a serious championship on the LPGA Tour.

However after her 4-under 67 Saturday, Boutier holds a three-shot lead over Nasa Hataoka heading into the ultimate spherical on the Amundi Evian Championship in France.

The Frenchwoman sits at 11-under for the championship as she battled via a persistent mist Saturday on the mountains subsequent to Lake Geneva.

“Feeling very happy with my spherical,” Boutier mentioned afterward. “It was positively a grind. I used to be capable of begin off fairly properly. I missed a number of photographs at the start of the again 9 however was capable of scramble, so I really feel prefer it’s a fairly optimistic and stable spherical for me at present.”

She began with 4 birdies on the entrance 9 to additional separate herself from the sector, which included a chip-in on the 2nd gap. Boutier started the day with only a one-shot lead.

On the par-4 twelfth, Boutier dropped a shot, her solely bogey of the day, however she made that up with a birdie on the par-5 fifteenth.

Photograph by Stuart Franklin/Getty Pictures

Boutier now heads into Sunday attempting to shut out her first main and fourth profession LPGA victory in entrance of her family and friends.

“The truth that my household is right here and we’re staying in a home 15, 20 minutes away has helped me take my thoughts off golf and the match,” Boutier admitted. “That’s been useful for me to essentially sort of chill out and never take into consideration golf.”

However Boutier may have loads of stress on her Sunday as she seems to change into the primary Frenchwoman to win the Evian Championship.

No less than she has the hometown help of her fellow compatriots.

“It’s been wonderful,” Boutier mentioned of the French followers. “It’s been actually wonderful to have the ability to see and listen to the help from the followers. I really feel prefer it’s been very pleasing for me. However I’m simply attempting to take it one shot at a time.”

Jack Milko is a golf workers author for SB Nation’s Taking part in By means of. You may observe him on Twitter @jack_milko for extra golf protection. Make sure you take a look at @_PlayingThrough too.