By: Max Bechtoldt
Celine Boutier, the best French golfer in the world, got off to an incredible start in the 2024 Paris games, shooting a -7 65 in the opening round.
Boutier was firing on all cylinders on a day where scores have been hard to come by. With the home crowd firmly in her corner all day, the pressure didn’t faze her as she scored nine strokes better than the field average. At the time of her finish, in the second wave, she was the only round posted in the 60s.
As is usually the case with Boutier, she did most of her damage on and around the greens. She was second in the field in strokes gained around the green and first in putting. That being said, she still hit nine fairways and 13 greens.
Boutier made an outstanding eight birdies with only one bogey. The highlight of the day was probably her chip-in on the par 3 16, her third consecutive birdie.
Celine looked like the type of player we saw out of her in 2023, where she won four LPGA Tour events, including a major. She won that major in her home country of France, could she repeat that here?
Boutier has the type of game and temperament to maintain this lead and handle the pressure. Even with big galleries, chants of her name and the French National Anthem being sang to her, she still kept the same poise.
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