THE AMUNDI EVIAN CHAMPIONSHIP

July 30, 2023

Celine Boutier

Evian Resort Golf Club

Press Conference

THE MODERATOR: Hello everybody, welcome inside the media center here at the Amundi Evian Championship.

For everyone in the room, we will be starting with English questions and English answers and then I will open it up to French questions and French answers. Merci.

Celine, I will kick things off. We have just exited the green, a wonderful prize giving ceremony. Just overall the emotion, how are you feeling now in this seat with that trophy in front of you?

CELINE BOUTIER: Yeah, very overwhelmed. I was just looking at the names on this trophy and I just think -- I don't think I'm realizing yet. It's been such a goal, more like a dream for so long. Yeah, just to be able to pull it off this week has been definitely unexpected.

But, yeah, just over the moon.

THE MODERATOR: I want to begin with also your play today. Three birdies in the first five holes. You said on TV that you were surprised. Why were you surprised, and how much did that help you balance out the nervousness?

CELINE BOUTIER: Yeah, I knew getting good start was going to be key to the day, and I was really kind of -- had two good shots on No. 1 to put myself in a good position and made birdie there.

The second birdie on No. 2 was a little bit unexpected, a little bit of luck I guess, a good putt.

To be able to have a third birdie on 5 was also. A lot going on in the first five holes. Definitely not complaining about it at all. I feel like I definitely was expecting maybe one birdie or so on the first few.

But, yeah, it was definitely very nice to be able to get those early on, and I was able to relax a little bit more.

THE MODERATOR: Before I open to the room here, you said as you sat down, I said oh, we can smell the champagne from here. You said, that's a good problem to have.

It very much is. When you were overcome with support from your family who are here in attendance and your friends, what were the emotions you had on that 18 green finishing out the final hole?

CELINE BOUTIER: I was so focused on getting the job done and making pars and hitting good shots that I was trying not to -- I was trying not to think ahead and let myself think about that already because it wasn't done yet.

Yeah, like with the prize ceremony and just seeing all the fans and spectators cheering me on, to be able to add a French flag to the list of winners is just unbelievable.

I just, yeah, can't express really how I feel. A little bit of overwhelmed.

THE MODERATOR: We will open to questions in the room.

Q. So I remember right before the Olympics in Tokyo, when some people were reluctant to go, you said you would go and represent your country even if you had to go by boat. So what it means for you to win in France in front of the French people and in front of your fans?

CELINE BOUTIER: It's everything. Like I said, it's definitely like the biggest dream of mine. If I was going to win one tournament it had to be Evian. Yeah, I just really did not expect it to be this week.

But I just feel like so grateful to be able to share it with my family and with all the French spectators. They were amazing all week. Such a great amount of support and positive energy and definitely fed off the crowd a little bit.

Yeah, I just feel super grateful to be able to share it with the French golf community.

Q. Just I don't know if you can describe that walk up 18 knowing you had to putt still, but you had it in the bag and the emotions and people yelling your name and things like that.

CELINE BOUTIER: Yeah, I was definitely trying to take it in and enjoy it. I felt a little bit overwhelmed as well just hearing their chants and my name and just them being so happy. I just feel like I was definitely like borderline going to cry, but like I tried to focus on my last two-putt.

Yeah, it's just been an amazing week.

Q. You've played some really solid golf. Got a win earlier this year. To have a second title in a few months now, what does that tell you about what you're doing in your game that's working so well for you, especially with another major in a couple weeks?

CELINE BOUTIER: Yeah, it's just unbelievable that I get to have my first major win at home, I mean, in France. I could not have scripted it better. I feel like it's just so perfect that it's hard to believe that it's true.

I'm just so happy and I'm so, so grateful.

Q. First of all, it felt like there was a nation behind you obviously this week. How did that impact your nerves, especially on the first tee? I was out there and there were spectators everywhere. How nervous were you on the first tee today, and how did that change throughout the day as you extended your lead?

CELINE BOUTIER: Yeah, definitely very nervous going into the first tee, but I tried to frame it in a positive way. I feel like I've played this tournament seven times already and I have never been able to handle the pressure well.

I feel like this week was definitely like something that was a goal of mine. I want to handle the pressure better. I definitely felt like it was a little bit better after the first shot really.

I just like once I started walking on the course definitely like felt a little bit more calm. I feel like the conditions were so tough that it really made me have to focus on the game rather than anything else.

That really helped me keep going throughout the round.

Q. We saw yesterday that Suzann Pettersen was out here watching. Did you get a chance to speak to her? If so, what advice did they give you coming into today?

CELINE BOUTIER: I didn't know she was here. Good to know. (Smiling.)

Q. Finally then, obviously you're here in France. I think everyone wants to know, what are you going do to celebrate tonight?

CELINE BOUTIER: Well, to be honestly I was supposed to drive with my family back to Paris just to spend a night at home before leaving for Scotland. Just going to celebrate on the ride back I guess.

Q. This has been a banner year for you, Celine. You became the winningest player in French history at DriveOn and you are now the first French player to win here. What does this mean to you, and to be one of the biggest role models here for French golf?

CELINE BOUTIER: I mean, it's really not things I think about on my daily life. I definitely feel like it's hard to really realize that I have such -- that I would have any kind of impact in French golf or in France at all.

I'm just so grateful to be able to have this gift of golf I guess and just to be able to hopefully inspire more French players to turn pro and try to play on the same stage.

I just feel, yeah, like it's been an amazing ride. Hopefully it's not the end. (Laughter.)

THE MODERATOR: One more before we turn it over to French. At any point did you know how big your lead was? Were you looking at leaderboards at any time today?

CELINE BOUTIER: I did a little bit towards the end, but I really -- I was just so nervous all night last night and this morning that I really made a point not to focus on anybody else as game and just my own.

So I tried to focus on that and I feel like I did a pretty good job of that.

THE MODERATOR: Yes, you did.

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