ISPS HANDA WOMEN'S SCOTTISH OPEN

August 13, 2024

Celine Boutier

Dundonald Links

Press Conference

THE MODERATOR: We welcome our defending champion Celine Boutier to Dundonald Links.

Can you tell us how it feels to return as defending champion and your memories from last year?

CELINE BOUTIER: Yeah, it's very nice to be coming back here. A lot of good memories here and especially going around the course, kind of start remembering some of the shots and the holes that you played. So it's very fun. I feel like I've definitely had a lot of success on this course, and it's great to be able to come back.

THE MODERATOR: Last week at the Olympics, how do you feel your playing prepared you for this week, and what was the experience like playing in France?

CELINE BOUTIER: It was very current real to be able to play the Olympics in Paris. Just having a home crowd the whole week was really, really supportive, and very encouraging.

So it was very fun to be able to play there, and then it's a very different course than this week, so definitely not much preparation there as far as pure golf style. But it's just nice to be able to play in front of a crowd and hopefully we get some crowds here, too.

THE MODERATOR: Before we open up to the media, last year was a big year, you on Evian, came here and won here as well. How do you prepare to defend, and what is sort of your goals for this week? Just a bit about that.

CELINE BOUTIER: Yeah, I think it's just reset and always a new week in golf. I honestly tried to focus on each shot at a time and put myself in good position going into the weekend, especially the final round, and just having a chance to play for the win is what you're looking for.

Q. When you come to a course that you've had success on before, is there any -- does it give you good, positive vibes coming into this week when you've had success here before?

CELINE BOUTIER: Yeah, it's always nice to come back to a course where you have good memories. I definitely I feel like every year, every week, your golf game is slightly different. So you have to adapt to that and make some slight changes sometimes last minute or the week of.

So it's always a bit of adjusting. Most of the time, it's also a lot of good memories or you know, even knowing where the pins were and what you did strategy-wise, it's taking a little bit of a load off the first few practise rounds because you definitely feel like you know what you are looking for and you are familiar with the golf course already, so that helps a little bit on the front end.

Q. You touched on this being quite a different challenge to this week. Is there anything you do in particular to get your game ready for links golf? Obviously you'll have similar next week, as well, and difficult conditions, I would imagine.

CELINE BOUTIER: Yeah, I think it's a lot about the trajectories here. Just keeping the ball like low-ish, especially with the wind and especially around the green as well because it's a lot more firm, not necessarily a lot of high rough next to the green like last week. So it's a little bit more like bump-and-run and even putter off the green. So just adjusting to these types of shots, and especially also the bunkers that have a lot of sand and like fine grain. So you have to also hit a few shots out there of for sure.

Q. Is that something that you enjoy? It's difficult conditions today, if we get conditions like that during the event; that something that you look forward to?

CELINE BOUTIER: Yeah, I think it's part of the experience of Scottish courses. You kind of want to have conditions like that because that's what makes it so special and that's also how the courses are designed, also, with the wind and sometimes like you can also see how they design a specific hole with a certain wind and stuff like that. I think it's very nice to be able to play in those conditions because it's so unique to these types of courses, and that's also why you come here.

Q. Looking ahead to next week, St Andrews, the Old Course, obviously very special place. Is that somewhere that you would like to see the AIG Women's Open going to more often?

CELINE BOUTIER: Oh, yes, for sure. It's definitely such an iconic golf course, and I had a chance to play in 2014 when it was last there, and it was such a special experience. Any time you have the chance to play the Old Course, it's always great experience.

So to be able to have such a big tournament there is definitely something you look forward to, and as a professional golfer, it's such a dream to be able to have those kind of events, and even have potential to win there, to be able to have such a big tournament there is definitely something you look forward to and as a professional golfer, it is such a dream to be able to have those kind of events and even to have the potential to win there would be a dream come true as a golfer.

Q. There was a lot of talk with all the buildup about golf's place in the Olympics, and what your reaction to the crowds in Paris?

CELINE BOUTIER: I haven't heard much about the talks. I feel like golf definitely has a legitimate place in the Olympics. It's been such a fun experience for me personally to have it in Paris this year, and the amount of crowds and the people that showed up definitely shows some interest in the sport.

And I think it was also great to be able to introduce this game and this sport to other people that weren't necessarily, you know, watching golf before, and definitely a lot of people that showed -- didn't necessarily know a lot about it but at least it's a good introduction to the game, and I think it was definitely a fun experience.

So I think it was hugely positive for the game and for friends to have the Olympics there, and yeah, I can only say good things about it.

Q. The support that you received in France, will that give you covered that in the years coming, it will grow in popularity in the Olympics?

CELINE BOUTIER: Yeah, for sure. I think it's got so much potential. We have a lot of golf courses in France and I feel like there's so much more room to have more people play, and events like this are definitely what brings people to the game and hopefully some more top players that perform at the highest level can also only help grow the popularity of the sport.

Q. Obviously this sort of last month has big events, the Evian, the Olympics, this week, next week. How do you keep your momentum going for the last major of the year?

CELINE BOUTIER: I think this week is definitely a good preparation and good introduction into links golf going into next week, which will be our last major of the season. So you obviously want to do well. Any time you get to play in Europe, you really -- as a European, you definitely feel a little bit more support, and you definitely want to play a little bit better than the rest of the year, and then especially in St Andrews, it's so special.

So you definitely want to make sure that you're performing there. So I think using this week was preparation is always helpful.