Back-to-Back for Boutier

Céline Boutier followed her victory at last week’s Evian Championship with an impressive win in Ayrshire in the FreeD Group Women’s Scottish Open.

Boutier took a three-shot lead into the final at Dundonald Links and survived a late charge by runner-up Hyo Joo Kim, who shot seven under in a bogey-free final round, to claim her second win in as many tournaments. 

"If I win, I may just retire," the 29-year-old joked at the prospect of maintaining her purple patch and claiming a third win in a row this week.

Nevertheless, Boutier is hard to ignore given the quality of the golf she has demonstrated over the past fortnight - a lucrative period that all players have been targeting for success.

"They were both very demanding courses, so it kind of forces me to really focus and have to dig deep a little bit," she revealed after taking her season earnings past $2m (£1.6m).

"Sometimes you're just so focused on doing and playing and hitting shots that it's kind of hard to really take in the full picture of how my game is.

"Golf is so frustrating that even when you win or you shoot a good score, you say, 'oh, but that putt, that shot over there, I could have done better'."

A round of 66 on Saturday proved decisive for Boutier as she racked up eight birdies to overtake halfway leader Hinako Shibuno, whose eight-under opening round proved the best of the tournament. 

Elsewhere, Allisen Corpuz and Aditi Ashok – who went into the event leading the Order of Merit in the LPGA and Ladies European Tour respectively – struggled, with Ashok finishing well off the pace and Corpuz failing to make the cut. 

England’s Charley Hull shot over par on Thursday and Friday before finishing in a share of 35th place. Meanwhile, defending champion Ayaka Furue could not replicate last year’s heroics after a similarly lukewarm start.