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

Celine Boutier went nuclear on Wednesday throughout 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 may 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 in a position to make the most of 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 residence nation of France, so the crowds have been large for her, which meant that help was plentiful.

She embraced it however known as it a problem, as typical LGPA crowds will not be 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 help,” 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 a number of the males’s spherical and their tee pictures and stuff first helped me out,” Boutier mentioned. “I used to be in a position to see the help and the gang they obtained and was in a position to assist put together myself for at the moment and the remainder of the week.”

Picture by PIERRE-PHILIPPE MARCOU/AFP by way of Getty Photographs

“It’s difficult, however I attempt to deal with my recreation. And it’s such a troublesome course that it’s important to focus in your recreation. You’ll be able to’t go searching and chuckle with the gang. So it’s good to have some help, however it’s important to focus on the market.”

Although she isn’t used to the gang, the Frenchwoman did appear to understand the love — more often than not.

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

She gave the gang a lot to cheer about as Boutier’s putter was purple sizzling. 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 a minimum of 16 ft 10 inches. Boutier led the sphere in strokes gained placing, at +4.860.

“I feel my placing was very strong at the moment,” she mentioned. “I attempted to be a bit of bit extra aggressive with my velocity, and it labored out. I seen a number of my putts have been on line, typically a bit brief, typically a bit too quick. When the velocity was there, it was getting into.”

“So it was a really good feeling, and it helped me out as a result of I don’t assume I hit it that shut, however I used to be in a position to be inside vary to make a birdie probability, 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 Taking part in By way of. For extra golf protection, observe us @_PlayingThrough on all main social platforms. It’s also possible to observe her on Twitter @SportsGirlSL and Instagram @golf_girl_sl.