Céline Di-oes It at Evian

If Céline Boutier felt any pressure starting the day with a three-shot cushion, it certainly didn’t show. Boutier sprinted out of the gates at The Amundi Evian Championship with three birdies in her first five holes en route to her first major, becoming the first Frenchwoman to win at Evian. With the rest of the star-studded leaderboard being stuck in neutral, that hot start put the tournament on ice before Boutier even made the turn. Surrounded by large crowds of French fans cheering her on, she played her final nine in even par to win by six and earn a well-deserved champagne drenching.

This piece originally appeared in The Fried Egg newsletter. Subscribe for free and receive golf news and insight every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday.The dominant performance capped off a near-perfect week for the 29-year-old Montrouge native. Boutier was the only player to shoot in the 60s all four days. She carded just five bogeys the entire week. The pieces finally fell into place for the 15th-ranked player in the world, who until this week hadn’t finished better than T-29 at the Evian. Boutier credited some of the win to being able to stay with family all week, thanking them for keeping her grounded and relaxed off the course. Capturing any major is obviously big for a professional golfer, but being the winningest Frenchwoman in golf and being able to win your first major in your home country is incredible. That wasn’t lost on Boutier, who described The Evian as the “biggest dream ever since I started watching golf.”

The win also continues the remarkable run of top-ranked players winning in France. Boutier’s win means nine out of the last ten champions were ranked in the top 20 when they took home the fifth major. Despite a course that leaves a lot to be desired and a purse that hasn’t kept up with the times, Evian cranks out world-class winners year in and year out. That’s an identity worth embracing as the Evian aims to build history and tradition, two things it desperately needs as golf’s youngest major.