France’s Celine Boutier rallied from a four-shot deficit on Sunday, making three birdies around the turn on her way to a five-under 66 for a one-shot victory over Arpichaya Yubol in the ShopRite LPGA as Ireland’s Lauren Walsh finished third.
Soo Bin Joo, the 22-year-old South Korean going for her first LPGA Tour title, lost her four-shot lead at the turn and then fell behind for good on the 13th hole, the same hole where earlier Boutier had taken the lead with a 30-foot birdie putt.
Joo missed another fairway to the right into a clumpy lie, pitched back to the fairway, sent her wedge over the green with a front pin, chipped eight feet by the hole and missed the putt, taking a double bogey to fall three shots behind.
Boutier kept hitting solid shots, rarely getting in trouble. She missed a four-foot birdie putt on the final hole to post a nine-under overall score at the 54-hole event.
“To have a chance to win today is definitely something very special,” said Boutier, the 32-year-old French player who won the same event five years ago.
“I think it’s a great tournament, very special for me, so really excited to be able to have another win here.”
Yubol, who was penalized one shot in the second round Saturday for going over her maximum time, birdied the last two holes for a 66. It was her second runner-up finish of the year, having finished four shots behind Nelly Korda in Mexico.
Walsh, 25, finished third after a final-round 67, followed by Joo among four players who tied for fourth. Ireland had two players in the top 10 with Leona Maguire finishing tied-ninth on four under.
Boutier finished the front nine with two straight birdies to reach seven under, and that gave her a share of the lead when Joo made bogey on the par-four eighth. Boutier then hit her approach to four feet for birdie on the 10th. Joo caught her with a birdie on the ninth but could not keep up the rest of the way.
Celine Boutier holds up the trophy after winning
Boutier now has seven career LPGA titles and 12 worldwide. She had struggled so far this year, with a tie for ninth her best finish in 10 tournaments.
“I feel like my game has turned around the last few weeks. I could see it coming together, and I definitely did not expect it to come together this week and today,” she said. “But I’m super excited to be back in the winner’s circle.”
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