Celine Boutier continued her fine form in France carding a 67 (-4) to hold a three-shot lead at the end of the third round of the Amundi Evian Championship.
The Frenchwoman, who led overnight at the midway mark, picked up where she left off yesterday with birdies at the second, fifth, seventh and ninth holes at Evian Resort Golf Club.
Boutier dropped her only shot of the day on the 12th hole but soon bounced back with her fifth birdie of the day to move to a total of 11-under-par and hold a three-shot lead with one round remaining at the fourth major of the year.
“I’m feeling very satisfied with my round,” said Boutier. “It was definitely a grind. I was able to start off pretty good. I missed a few shots in the beginning of the back nine, but was able to scramble, and so it was pretty positive and a solid round for me today.
“I didn’t start that good to be honest. I missed the first three greens but got a good break on 2 and was able to chip in. Then I just had really good chances on the two par-fives, seven and nine, and was able to take advantage of that.
“I was just trying to focus on making, hitting a good shot, and if I happen to have a birdie opportunity, I hit a solid putt. It was definitely positive and felt pretty good to start very good on the front.”
Boutier, who is number 15 in the world, is the top-ranked French player and has been feeling the home support this week but has also been trying not to put any pressure on herself.
She added: “It’s been amazing. It’s been really amazing to be able to see and hear the support from the fans. I feel like it’s been very enjoyable for me. I am just trying to take it one shot at a time.
“The fact that my family is here and we’re staying in a house 15, 20 minutes away kind of really helps me take my mind off golf and the tournament. That’s been helpful for me to really kind of relax and not think about golf.”
Japan’s Nasa Hataoka sits in solo second place on eight-under-par having produced a third round of 68 (-3).
It was a hot start for the six-time LPGA Tour winner with a birdie on the first, before a bogey on the third, but she then rolled in four birdies in-a-row on holes four through seven.
Hataoka added another birdie on the ninth to make the turn in 30 (-5) but had a more difficult back nine making two bogeys for her round of 68.
“I was dialled in, especially front nine today, but unfortunately I was not able to make chances on back nine,” said the…
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