Celine Boutier said she was playing well enough to be on a mission to shoot lower on Friday than she did Thursday (1-over 73) at the KPMG Women’s PGA Championship
Mission absolutely accomplished.
Boutier shot an 8-under 64 in the second round at Atlanta Athletic Club and skyrocketed up the leaderboard.
Boutier’s 64 featured seven birdies, an eagle and a bogey.
The eagle came on the par-4 sixth. The tee was moved up for Friday’s second round and it played just 229 yards. She hit a three wood on the green and rolled in the eagle putt from less than 10 feet away.
After opening with a 1-over 73, Boutier said her game still felt like it was 100 percent “in place.” The sizzling 8-under 64 comes just a few weeks after she shot a matching 8 under at the LPGA Mediheal Championship on Sunday. She would go on to finish tied for fifth that week.
“I know my game was ready, just a little bit of lack of confidence,” said Boutier. “This week I felt like I wasn't hitting as well as I wanted to, but I knew that I could score lower, especially after yesterday.”
Boutier, a one-time winner on the LPGA Tour, hasn’t finished better than tied for 37th at the KPMG Women’s PGA Championship before. She said, even though she’s on a major-championship stage this week, the setting didn’t deter her from keeping the pedal down through Friday.
She had no plans to cruise into the house through 36 holes, despite a bogey on her penultimate hole of the day.
“It's definitely something that I would see myself do, just be laid back and stop trying hard, but I think you just have to keep it one shot at a time and try to forget how many birdies you've had,” she said. “For me, I even try to forget about my score and just try to make any opportunity that I have, try my best and try to make the putt or whatever. I think for me that's been helping me.”
Sagstrom, meanwhile, was tied for the lead through most of Friday morning until Boutier went 3 under over four holes on her second nine.
The one-time LPGA Tour winner shot a 4-under 68 on Friday.
“Clearly, I like this golf course. It suits me very well. It suits my eye. I personally like that it's playing soft so I can take advantage of my carry,” said Sagstrom of Atlanta Athletic Club. “I don't really feel it's that difficult in that sense. You're just going to have to pull the shots off. If you have a good week, then I think you can score well out here.
“The greens are rolling perfectly. I think it's just going to get tougher from here. So, I'm excited for it.”
Charley Hull at 5 under, along with Austin Ernst, Danielle Kang, and Hyo Joo Kim at 4 under, are all inside the top five on the leaderboard after the conclusion of the morning wave Friday.
“I feel like I finished with two good birdies, so it's some momentum for the weekend,” said Hull.
