Celine Boutier survived a marathon nine-hole playoff on the Maybank Championship, in the end defeating Atthaya Thitikul with 6-foot birdie putt. The winningest French participant in LPGA historical past, Boutier now has 4 titles this season, together with a serious.
“I knew she wasn’t going to make a mistake,” stated Boutier, “so I needed to go for it and provides myself the most effective possibilities for birdies.”
The playoff, which included a 90-minute storm delay, is the twelfth on tour this season. Boutier additionally claimed her first victory of the season in time beyond regulation, defeating Solheim Cup companion Georgia Corridor on the LPGA Drive On Championship at Superstition Mountain in Arizona.
The longest playoff in LPGA historical past got here in 1972 on the Corpus Christi Civitan Open when Jo Ann Prentice defeated Sandra Palmer and Kathy Whitworth in 10 holes. On the 2012 Kingsmill Championship, Jiyai Shin took down Paula Creamer in 9 additional holes, with the ultimate gap coming Monday morning.
“It’s exhausting,” stated Thitikul of the steamy time beyond regulation. “It’s fairly tiring, to be trustworthy. However I believe it’s the most effective playoff I ever had in my life.”
Celine Boutier of France and Atthaya Thitikul stroll on the 18th fairway in a playoff eighth gap through the last spherical of the Maybank Championship at Kuala Lumpur Golf and Nation Membership on October 29, 2023 in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. (Picture by Yong Teck Lim/Getty Pictures)
American Rose Zhang held the lead going into the ultimate spherical, however her closing 71 put her in a share of third with early chief Jasmine Suwannapura.
“I believe for me, it’s simply necessary to grasp what my routine is,” stated Zhang of her takeaways on the week, “and I noticed what’s been working for me, what I’ve to work on. Brief sport positively much-needed follow. Virtually felt like I used to be yipping it on the market.
“However I actually simply am actually completely satisfied that I’ve these sort of bettering factors to work on. Sort of makes me looking forward to no matter is to return.”
Boutier surged up the board with a bogey-free 64 on Sunday to complete at 21 underneath for the match. Thitikul shot 68 within the last spherical at Kuala Lumpur Golf and Nation Membership to match her.
“Coming into the day, it was a protracted shot,” stated Boutier. “I used to be fairly a couple of photographs again, and I additionally knew this course was fairly scorable, so I wasn’t positive what the leaders are going to be like, however I used to be simply making an attempt to focus alone sport and make as many birdies as I might and simply see on the finish.”
This marked the LPGA’s first match in Malaysia since 2017 and the purse of $3 million is without doubt one of the largest on tour amongst non-majors. Boutier earned $450,000 for her victory, bringing her season whole to $2,730,340.
Thitikul climbed her manner into place with a sensational 62 on Saturday that included a back-nine 30. Winless thus far this season, the Thai sensation began trending in the suitable course with a share of second earlier this month on the Ascendant LPGA in Texas. Final week she tied for fifth in South Korea.
Boutier now has extra titles than anybody on tour this season, with World No. 1 Lilia Vu coming second with three. Over the summer season, Boutier collected her first main on residence soil on the Amundi Evian Championship. The victory in Malaysia strikes her atop the LPGA Participant of the 12 months standings, three factors forward of Vu. There are three occasions left on the LPGA schedule this season.
IT WAS WORTH THE WAIT! @celineboutier‘s profitable putt within the ninth playoff gap! 🏆 pic.twitter.com/ktThJNKJpC
— LPGA (@LPGA) October 29, 2023
Boutier subsequent heads to her U.S. residence in Dallas to organize for the final two occasions of the season in Florida. When requested what’s been clicking for her of late, the previous Duke star pointed to her method photographs.
“Not simply as we speak, really, simply the entire week,” she stated, “I had a variety of tap-ins for birdies and good birdie possibilities, and I really feel like my putter began getting higher and higher every spherical, in order that positively helped to attain higher as we speak.”
