Celine Boutier Claims Incredible Maybank Championship In Nine Hole Playoff
The Solheim Cup star overcame Atthaya Thitikul with a birdie at the ninth playoff hole to pick up her fourth LPGA Tour title of 2023
![Celine Boutier kiss the Maybank Championship trophy](https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/s9GvVsvFGMP56Cgw6U9ojD-415-80.jpg)
The final round of the Maybank Championship was filled with thrills and spills, with Celine Boutier firing an eight-under-par final round of 64 to get in to a playoff with former World No.1, Atthaya Thitikul.
Going into the final day, it was Rose Zhang who was looking for a second LPGA Tour title in just her 12th start. However, when the American could only card a one-under round of 71, it was left to her playing partner, Thitikul, to birdie three of her last four holes to get into a playoff alongside Boutier.
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Coming from four back, you could say the momentum was on the side of Boutier, with the Frenchwoman looking to pick up a fourth LPGA Tour title of 2023, with one of those being a Major victory at the Evian Championship.
Playing the 18th, the duo of Boutier and Thitikul both parred the first two playoff holes, with further pars at the par 3 15th meaning we moved to a fourth, the par 5 18th again.
This time around, the pair holed good birdie putts and, after yet more pars came at the par 3 15th, we were on to a sixth playoff hole. For reference, and in case you were wondering, the record for the longest playoff on the LPGA Tour was 10 holes in 1972.
Boutier celebrates her win
Certainly, after both made pars at the sixth and seventh playoff holes, it seemed destined that we were in for a repeat of Eugenio Chacarra and Matt Jones' battle in August on the Asian Tour, a playoff which went to 10 holes at St Andrews!
Birdieing the eighth extra hole, neither Boutier and Thitikul were backing down. However, it was the more experienced Boutier who eventually got it done over the 20-year-old Thai, as Boutier stuck it close at the par 3 15th and holed her birdie putt for a ninth playoff hole victory and $450,000 first prize.
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Matt joined Golf Monthly in February 2021 covering weekend news, before also transitioning to equipment and testing. After freelancing for Golf Monthly and The PGA for 18 months, he was offered a full-time position at the company in October 2022 and continues to cover weekend news and social media, as well as help look after Golf Monthly’s many buyers’ guides and equipment reviews.
Taking up the game when he was just seven years of age, Matt made it into his county squad just a year later and continues to play the game at a high standard, with a handicap of around 2-4. To date, his best round came in 2016, where he shot a six-under-par 66 having been seven-under through nine holes. He currently plays at Witney Lakes in Oxfordshire and his favourite player is Rory McIlroy, despite nearly being struck by his second shot at the 17th during the 2015 BMW PGA Championship.
Matt’s current What’s In The Bag?
Driver: Honma TW747, 8.75°
Fairway Wood: TaylorMade Rocketballz Stage 2, 15°, 19°
Hybrid: Adams Super Hybrid, 22°
Irons: Mizuno MP54, 5-PW
Wedges: Cleveland 588 RTX 2.0 Tour Satin, 50°, 56°, 60°
Putter: Cleveland TFI 2135 Satin Cero
Ball: Titleist Pro V1x
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