Celine Boutier highlights the "Move of the Week" as the Montrouge native etched her name on a trophy for the second time this season with a final round 68 at The Amundi Evian Championship. The win echoed throughout several key rankings as she vaulted up 11 spots to No. 4 in the Rolex Women's World Golf Rankings, the highest Boutier has been in her career. The move will likely ensure she will represent France as a member of the European team this September when Spain plays host to the 2023 Solheim Cup. With her major victory, Boutier jumped to third on the European Solheim Cup points standings, 39.85 points behind Maja Stark in the race for the second automatic qualifying spot, and the jump from No. 15 to No. 4 in the Rolex Rankings has her as the highest-ranked player that will qualify based on their world ranking.
The 29-year-old has overtaken the top spot for the Rolex Player of the Year Award and moved into a share of second in the Rolex ANNIKA Major Award standings. With her win in France, she became only the third Frenchwoman to win a major championship since Catherine LaCoste won the U.S. Women's Open in 1967 as an amateur, and Patricia Meunier-Lebouc won The Chevon Championship in 2003, but she’s the first native to win the Amundi Evian Championship. Boutier also moved to No. 1 in the Race to the CME Globe standings and now has a 281.46-point lead over Jin Young Ko and Ayaka Furue.
Rose Rises in Rankings
Rose Zhang's top-10 finish in Evian-les-Bains, France, is just one of many accomplishments in her young rookie campaign on the LPGA Tour. The 20-year-old impressed with her play at the majors, following up her tie for eight at the KPMG Women's PGA Championship and tie for ninth at the U.S. Women's Open with a T9 finish at The Amundi Evian Championship. The young American climbed three spots following her strong performance last week and is currently ranked 32nd in the Rolex Rankings, the highest of her career.
After all her recent success, Zhang is taking a well-deserved week off before next week's AIG Women's Open, which is set to be contested at Walton Heath Golf Club in Surrey, England. But after last week's major, the 2023 LPGA Tour rookie has a lot to think about.
"I feel like I'm on the right track in my mental space and navigating the entire tour life,” she said. “I still feel like I have so much more improvement ahead of me which makes me excited for the learning curve and the growth development I'll have later on."
Epson Tour Grad Celine Borge is Trending
Celine Borge continues to build momentum, and her latest charge moves her closer to breaking into the top 100 in the Rolex Rankings for the first time in her career. At the start of her rookie campaign, the 24-year-old was 369th in the world, but after back-to-back top-five finishes at the Dow Great Lakes Bay Invitational with playing partner Polly Mack and The Amundi Evian Championship, Borge is now up to No. 102.
The Norwegian has moved to fourth in the Louise Suggs Rolex Rookie of the Year race but is a good distance behind current leader Hae Ran Ryu. Borge also jumps from No. 53 to No. 37 in the Race to the CME Globe and is in an excellent position to play the season-ending CME Group Tour Championship. While Borge has more work to do if she wants to get inside the top 100, her game continues to trend upward and in the right direction, a good sign as the LPGA Tour enters the second half of the 2023 season.
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