Celine Boutier did everything she could on Sunday at Sentosa Golf Club, but the Frenchwoman ultimately fell just one shot short at the HSBC Women’s World Championship, finishing solo second to Hannah Green in Singapore after a final-round, 5-under 67.
She started the day in a tie for third at 7-under, three shots back of the 54-hole lead held by Ayaka Furue, and quickly made up some ground with a birdie on the par-4 1st hole to move to 8-under overall. Boutier didn’t make another birdie until the par-5 8th hole, and by that time, she was one shot back of Furue and Andrea Lee, who had made three front-nine birdies to climb into a share of the lead with the Japanese star.
Boutier then birdied the par-4 10th hole to tie the lead and grabbed another birdie on 12 to move to 11-under and ahead of the pack, which now included Green, extending her advantage with another birdie on the par-3 15th hole to sit at 12-under and lead by two with three holes to play over Furue and Green.
As Furue fell away, Boutier parred in at Sentosa Golf Club’s Tanjong Course to post the clubhouse lead at 12-under while Green made a late surge, making birdies on 16 and 17 to threaten Boutier’s victory and come to the last tied for the tied at 12-under. An improbable 30-foot birdie putt from Green on the par-4 18th hole ultimately spelled the end for Boutier’s chances at a seventh LPGA Tour title, but the major winner could only applaud Green as both players gave it all they had on Sunday in Singapore.
“I think it was really good for me to be in that position after today. Starting the round, I didn't even know if I had a shot,” said Boutier. “I was just trying to put myself up there, and it was great to even have a thought of making it a playoff. I knew it was going to be a long shot. I was (three) shots back. So, I was focused on trying to get myself into position and trying to make a run for it.”
The solo second is Boutier’s best finish in the HSBC Women’s World Championship, and it’s her best result on the LPGA Tour since she won the Maybank Championship in a dramatic, nine-hole playoff with Atthaya Thitikul in Malaysia last October. After a T16 showing at the LPGA Drive On Championship this season, the six-time LPGA Tour winner struggled last week at the Honda LPGA Thailand, finishing in a tie for 49th after carding a 74 in the final round.
Her performance this week at Sentosa Golf Club should serve as an early-season momentum shift as Boutier tries to recreate last year’s four-win success in 2024. But for now, she’s just happy to have played some solid golf, especially as she eyes next week’s Blue Bay LPGA in the People’s Republic of China, and she’ll be working to carry this form to Jian Lake Blue Bay Golf Club and give herself another shot at a victory.
“It feels great to put a solid week together,” Boutier said. “I definitely feel like I didn't have the best of starts in Thailand last week, so it’s great to have some good rounds under my belt and will try to keep going.”
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