PALOS VERDES CHAMPIONSHIP PRESENTED BY BANK OF AMERICA

April 26, 2022

Celine Boutier

Palos Verdes Golf Club

Press Conference

THE MODERATOR: Welcome inside the media center here at the Palos Verdes Championship presented by Bank of America.

We're here with Celine Boutier, one of the players in the field that actually played the Northrup Grumman challenge out here at Palos Verdes Golf Club. What do you remember about the golf course?

CELINE BOUTIER: To be honest, not much. It was a while ago and I remember maybe two holes from memory. Then when I played the course of course I remembered a few more, but I feel like it was kind of such a long time ago that I don't think I'm going to have any kind of advantage.

Q. Played the golf course today. How are you finding it so far? I heard it's a little bit hilly out there. How do you find the golf course?

CELINE BOUTIER: Yeah, it's definitely a physical challenge to get through 18 holes, but I think it's a good course. It's pretty tricky. Not a lot of the uneven lies and kind of really slopey greens.

So I think you definitely have to, you know, put yourself in the right spots on the green.

Q. From what little you do remember, the two holes you do remember, how different do you -- if you do remember -- like how different did the course play back then and how different do you think it'll play this week?

CELINE BOUTIER: I think I'm a little bit longer than back then, so it's just a few shorter irons.

But honestly, other than that, I don't remember how I was playing in college, so, yeah, I can't really help you in there.

Q. Let's talk about your season so far. I mean, Top 5 at a major already. You've had four Top 5s, one Top 10, including those Top 5s, and then top 15 last week to the DIO Implant LA Open. Pretty solid season. How proud are you of that effort and what have you found in your game that's really helped you post those good numbers?

CELINE BOUTIER: Yeah, it's been very consistent and I'm definitely happy with where I am. I feel like my goal at the beginning of the season was just to put myself more often in this the position to win, and I feel like I've done it that.

I just have to keep going and hopefully a win will be around the corner. But I feel like my game has been pretty solid. I don't think anything drastic has change from last year. Just making more putts definitely helps, but I don't think I've changed anything major since last year.

Q. Speaking of major, I mean, finishing Top 5 at The Chevron Championship a few weeks ago, how much did that do for your confidence heading into the rest of the season?

CELINE BOUTIER: Yeah, was definitely happy with that week, especially because it was the last time at Mission Hills. So I definitely wanted to finish on a high note there. Getting Top 5 is very encouraging, and I'm just, you know, really grateful to be able to play and to be able to, you know, have some good results.

I hope I can keep going.

Q. Back-to-back weeks in LA. Again, having played the golf course today, how much different is this golf course than Wilshire Country Club?

CELINE BOUTIER: Oh, it's like night and day I feel like. One was really flat and firm and this one is a little bit softer and very hilly. Different types of courses.

I mean, it's going to be interesting because you don't really -- like I said, no flat lies, so you have to control the ball a little bit better.

It's a lot shorter so it's a lot of short irons. I think it's definitely going to be scorable. It's going to be interesting to see if the wind even picks up a little bit because we're kind of high up.

So I feel like could be very interesting week.

Q. Since your closing 64 in San Francisco you finished in the top 10 in half of your starts. Has that tournament looked like a turning point for you in terms of finding more consistency when you look back on it?

CELINE BOUTIER: I haven't thought about it like that to be honest. I'm just honestly just taking it one week at a time trying to do my best each week. I feel like it's easy to ride the wave when you're playing well, and I'm just trying to take advantage of my form of the moment.

Yeah, I'm not really sure if there was really a turning point. For sure last year, but, yeah, just trying to do my best every week.

Q. What work do you do to try to maintain that consistent form that you've had?

CELINE BOUTIER: I just feel like I have to be very consistent. My long game has always been consistent I feel like, so I'm just trying not to overthink my swing. With my swing, especially when it's few weeks in a row, you kind of try to get out of your head a little bit.

Just adjusting to the greens have been key for me. Just trying to, yeah, definitely make more putts and just adjust from one green type to another has been key for me.

Q. You changed your pre-tournament approach of how you figure out the greens or figure out the courses in general over the last year or so?

CELINE BOUTIER: I think I'm trying to be a little bit less analytical with my putting. I just sometimes get in the habit of being overly analytical. I feel like that really -- not change, but I feel like I'm just taking it a little bit more easy on the greens.

I think that's helped me a little bit.

Q. How do you see that reflected in your play?

CELINE BOUTIER: I mean, I think making more putts definitely helps in general, just because like I said, I feel like my long game has been pretty much the same or pretty consistent.

Just making, you know, few putts here and there, even just two in the week, can make a huge difference in the leaderboard.

Q. You said this course, you didn't know, the wind could pick up considering where we are at. The last two tournaments you've played have been very windy venues. How much does that wind practice help you prepare for the possibility of that here?

CELINE BOUTIER: I honestly feel like I've been preparing, because in Dallas it gets really windy and that's where I live, where I go in my off weeks. I just feel like it's getting me ready for any windy conditions.

It's actually also the kind of golf that I like when you have to control your ball flight a little bit better, so I feel like I'm definitely ready if it picks up.

Q. For the Europeans it's probably a common sentiment. Do you think having that background would help you at a golf course like this?

CELINE BOUTIER: I think a little bit, but it's just -- it would be a bit unusual, because normally when it's hilly like this it doesn't get too windy.

I feel like that would be the only difference.

But, yeah, I mean, growing up playing in the wind in tough conditions definitely helps.