THE ASCENDANT LPGA BENEFITING VOLUNTEERS OF AMERICA

September 27, 2022

Celine Boutier

Golf Clubs at The Tribute

Press Conference

THE MODERATOR: All right, here welcoming Celine Boutier as we begin the week here at The Ascendant LPGA benefitting Volunteers of America. Celine, first question from me is you live here in Texas. You're a local. How excited are you to be playing in this tournament and playing at a course that's close-ish to home?

CELINE BOUTIER: Yeah, it's fun. I feel like I had the chance to play it a few times now, and it's definitely exciting to be really closer to home and to have some of my friends come out and watch later this week.

So I'm definitely looking forward to it, and I also like the course quite a lot, so I hope to get some good rounds going and hopefully play for a chance to win this weekend.

Q. How often have you played here at the Old American and what about this course maybe suits your game, if anything?

CELINE BOUTIER: Yeah, I feel like I've played tournaments quite a few times. Also I'm a member here, I know some members out here, so I come to play once in a while always a few rounds.

And especially this spring, like knowing we were coming here, I did come a few times, too. I think it's a very good course. It can be pretty challenging with the wind because it's right on the lake and the greens are pretty small, like they're big but they have really small areas, so you have to be smart with your approach shots and be really precise.

So I think it's definitely a good course. There is also a few options off the tee, especially if they move the tees or if the wind is changing directions. So you definitely have to be a good thinker out there.

Q. Being a French golfer yourself, what makes you want to have Texas as your home base? What do you like about it here?

CELINE BOUTIER: Yeah, it kind of happened really randomly just because I started working with my coach when I was still in college, and then after that I really had nowhere to go, so I came here.

Honestly, I really like it. I feel like people are really welcoming here and I feel really at home at my home course.

Yeah, I feel like it's a great place to be. It's a great airport, so to travel to and from is very convenient. Yeah, I've been really enjoying living here.

Q. And speaking of being a French golfer, played a couple weeks ago at the French Open; had I think a top 10 result, I believe. How have you seen your transition of playing on the LET and when you play over there in Europe and come back here? How does that affect our game or make it better I guess?

CELINE BOUTIER: I think it's each week is a different challenge. Whether it's LET or LPGA personally doesn't make that much of a difference. I just try to approach the week the same way and do my best each round.

It's definitely fun to go back to France and play in front of a home crowd, because I don't really get the chance to do that that much, besides at the Evian Championship, so it's always nice.

This year was a different course, too, so it was just I feel like a new tournament for me, a new week. But it's definitely nice to be able to see my family and friends just for a little bit and just to be ready to come back out and finish the season.

Q. Yeah. I asked that because the last time you played at the French Open you won the year before this; then you came over here to win. So I was wondering if your success is related out there.

CELINE BOUTIER: Yeah, I mean, it's definitely nice to be able to get a win at home. You feel like very energized and hopefully keep the momentum for the weeks that are coming up after.

So, yeah, I feel like you just, I don't know, you just feel like you're recharging your batteries. It's obviously more exhausting because you have more demands and people watching and stuff, but it just feels nice to be home for a little bit, and then also motivates to you come back out here and just finish strong.

Q. After last week, too, you had a really good finish last week, your game is obviously trending in a good direction. How gratifying would it be to perform well out here at like your second home?

CELINE BOUTIER: Yeah, it would be amazing. I feel like I've had this tournament in sight for a little while now. I feel like I've performed in the past well here, so really hoping to keep going that direction and try to give myself a chance to play for the win.

Q. Just being a member out here, what are some of the tricks around this golf course? You talked about when it gets windy it get's more challenging. What is it about this golf course that you really need to know, and how does that local knowledge help you?

CELINE BOUTIER: I think you need to know that the strategy is never set on any hole here, because like the club selection off the tee or even the approach shots can be so different depending on the wind or how firm it gets.

You just definitely have to not set on like a set strategy for the whole tournament or for the whole day.

Q. Had a really solid year this year; obviously got a win a couple years ago out here on the LPGA. You've come close a handful od times. How have you stayed patient? I know you hold yourself to high standards. How have you kept your patient coming so close?

CELINE BOUTIER: Honestly, I just try to keep the positives. Even though I've come close a few times, I feel like it could be a bad thing because I haven't been able to win, but at the same time I've also been so consistent, more in the Top 10s than I've ever been.

So I think it's definitely something that you have to like look at and also take in, because I feel like I'm definitely getting better as a player and I feel like that's a huge positive.

I just know if I keep going that direction and that way, it's going to come.

Q. Finally from me, I remember talking to you at CME. You get to that point of the season and your game really starts to pick up the pace. How have you maintained your energy, golf game, having all that success earlier this year as you look to an important last five events?

CELINE BOUTIER: I think this year I've tried to pace myself a little bit more and have tried to take more weeks off, which I think is paying off, because I feel like I'm not as tired as I was in the previous seasons.

So I definitely feel like there is still a lot of big tournaments coming up, and I definitely want to have my full potential and full energy for these, so I'm just definitely trying to pace myself throughout the season, and then try to use some good weeks as a boost or a momentum to keep going for the week after or the following tournament.

So, yeah, hopefully last week is going to help me to do the same, yeah.

THE MODERATOR: I think that's all we have for you. I will ask one more to wrap things up. I just want to know some of your goals, not for the end of the season, but for this week specifically. Home course; obviously you want to win. Any sort of smaller goals to help you achieve that big goal?

CELINE BOUTIER: I think main thing for me is not to get ahead of myself, which I think I kind of do sometimes a lot, especially when I want to play well, when it means a lot to me.

But I feel like that's also not helping me to perform well. I just have to try to not think of the big picture or the future and just try to focus on each shot at a time.

Q. I have one more. Obviously big community of LPGA Tour players in this area. What is it like for you to be able to have that community of people in Dallas, and also maybe play in practice? Any people you try to practice with at home?

CELINE BOUTIER: Yeah, it's actually so much more fun now that everyone is moving here. Yeah, I feel like I've been trying to get more players to move here because it's definitely more fun I feel like. Annie Park is member at my course so we get to play and see each other a lot. Also Yuka just moved here recently, so we try to play.

I mean, it's just more fun because we get to play with each other, challenge each other a little bit, and just get our competitive juices going.

So it's always nice to have people to play rounds with and who you enjoy being with, too. So it's definitely been a little bit more fun since there is more players here.

Q. Any side bets? You don't have to answer that. Do you all play for...

CELINE BOUTIER: Oh, yeah, we always play for something I feel like. It's more fun because we also like to do team stuff, too. So even with other pros, and at my club, we have maybe ten pros and me and Annie are the only girls, but we like to play against the two of us against other guys and hopefully take their money.

Q. Who are some of those guys?

CELINE BOUTIER: So her boyfriend, David Lee, and then a few Korn Ferry players that are also members at our club.

THE MODERATOR: One more follow up. I asked Stacy and Angela, there is a lot of Texas champions here, people who live here. What is it about Texas golf courses or whatever that helps people who play here a lot, native Texans, what is it about these courses that gives guys an advantage do you think?

CELINE BOUTIER: I think it's the variety of golf courses that there are, variety of grasses, but also type of courses. My course is more open like links type, very big greens, big undulations and bermuda.

But you can also find bentgrass and tree-lined courses. You can find hilly courses, like here is more kind of narrow I would say like smaller green complexes. Always also a little bit of wind so it really makes you control your ball flight a little bit more.

But I think it's, yeah, great practice. You can find anything I feel like here.

THE MODERATOR: Thank you very much. Good luck this week.

CELINE BOUTIER: Thank you.