2024 Olympics: Celine Boutier flexes on house soil, takes early lead

Celine Boutier went nuclear on Wednesday in the course of the first spherical of the ladies’s golf competitors on the 2024 Olympics.

She signed for a 7-under 65 that included eight birdies and one bogey. Just like the true competitor Boutier is, she felt the spherical might have been even higher however was nonetheless happy with the outcomes.

“I’m actually over the moon with how the event began for me,” Boutier mentioned. “I wasn’t certain what to anticipate at the moment, however I used to be capable of benefit from a number of alternatives on the market. So I be ok with my spherical and hopefully preserve going for the subsequent few days.”

The Olympics are in her house nation of France, so the crowds have been large for her, which meant that assist was plentiful.

She embraced it however referred to as it a problem, as typical LGPA crowds aren’t fairly like the Olympics.

“It’s not one thing I’m used to from what I often expertise on the LPGA. So it’s good to have that a lot assist,” she defined.

Boutier performed sensible forward of the event, as she skilled firsthand the ambiance on the males’s competitors final weekend.

“Having the ability to watch among the males’s spherical and their tee pictures and stuff first helped me out,” Boutier mentioned. “I used to be capable of see the assist and the group they bought and was capable of assist put together myself for at the moment and the remainder of the week.”

Picture by PIERRE-PHILIPPE MARCOU/AFP through Getty Pictures

“It’s difficult, however I attempt to deal with my sport. And it’s such a troublesome course that you need to focus in your sport. You possibly can’t go searching and snicker with the group. So it’s good to have some assist, however you need to focus on the market.”

Though she shouldn’t be used to the group, the Frenchwoman did appear to understand the love — more often than not.

“Yeah, it was good. It’s slightly bit a lot for me generally,” she famous. “It’s simply good to have that many individuals enthusiastic about golf.”

She gave the group lots to cheer about as Boutier’s putter was pink scorching. The 30-year-old made a number of lengthy birdie putts all through her spherical, making 123 ft of putts.

Of her eight birdies, six have been from at the very least 16 ft 10 inches. Boutier led the sector in strokes gained placing, at +4.860.

“I feel my placing was very stable at the moment,” she mentioned. “I attempted to be slightly bit extra aggressive with my pace, and it labored out. I seen lots of my putts have been on line, generally a bit quick, generally a bit too quick. When the pace was there, it was getting in.”

“So it was a really good feeling, and it helped me out as a result of I don’t suppose I hit it that shut, however I used to be capable of be inside vary to make a birdie likelihood, a birdie run. So I really feel like I took benefit of that.”

Boutier leads by three pictures over South Africa’s Ashleigh Buhai who shot a 4-under 68. There are additionally 4 gamers tied for third at 2-under.

For the primary two rounds, she performs with World No. 2 Lilia Vu and Korea’s Amy Yang. They tee off at 3:55 a.m. ET on Thursday for Spherical 2.

Savannah Leigh Richardson is a golf employees author for SB Nation’s Enjoying Via. For extra golf protection, comply with us @_PlayingThrough on all main social platforms. It’s also possible to comply with her on Twitter @SportsGirlSL and Instagram @golf_girl_sl.