Celine Boutier of France fired a 4-under 68 and prevailed in a one-hole playoff against England’s Georgia Hall on Sunday to win the LPGA Drive On Championship in Gold Canyon, Ariz.
Boutier, who held the lead after three rounds of action, sank a clutch birdie putt at the par-5 18th hole to force the playoff after Hall had jumped ahead courtesy of a 7-under-par 65. Hall carded seven birdies and an eagle against two bogeys on Sunday, sharing low-round honors with Japan’s Ayaka Furue and Daniela Darquea of Ecuador.
After both tallied 72-hole scores of 20-under 268, Boutier and Hall proceeded to replay the 18th hole, where Boutier sank her birdie putt to pick up her third victory on the LPGA Tour.
“It was not easy by any means,” Boutier told Sports Illustrated. “I definitely feel like this course is very scorable, so I knew I had to make some birdies. The one on 13 was definitely a relief, I feel like I got a little bit of a lucky break, but I hung in there.”
Furue finished third, just one stroke off the lead. She logged a clean card on Sunday, posting seven birdies.
“No bogeys are very important thing for my round,” Furue said. “I always focus on trying not to bogey and I think that made today a very good round for me.”
South Korean Na Rin An (67 on Sunday) took fourth at 18-under 270, while Ally Ewing (67) and Jin Young Ko (68) of South Korea finished tied for fifth.
A seven-way tie for seventh included Stacy Lewis, Lilia Vu, Japan’s Hinako Shibuno and Thailand’s Moriya Jutanugarn, who was only one shot back of the lead entering play Sunday.
–Field Level Media
