LPGA MEDIHEAL CHAMPIONSHIP

October 8, 2022

Celine Boutier

The Saticoy Club

Quick Quotes

Q. All right, here with Celine Boutier after your third round here in LA. Really solid round. Bogey-free and 6-under. What was the key to that success here today?

CELINE BOUTIER: Yeah, I don't really think that I played that much better than the previous two rounds. I just was able to make a few more putts, especially on the back. That really helped me a lot.

And then had three birdies on the par-5s, so that was I think kind of key to help me score 66 today.

Q. How hard is it to go bogey-free on this course? You've done it two rounds now. Seems easy for you, but how hard is it really?

CELINE BOUTIER: Yeah, I mean, I didn't really realize that I did go bogey-free for two rounds I guess. I think it's a course that can be pretty challenging if you're missing your tee shots and stuff like that.

The greens are pretty small. I feel like you also have a lot of birdie opportunities because some of the iron shots are short, so I think it's kind of a risk-reward almost a little bit.

Yeah, I think it's a good course to be playing the tournament at.

Q. Yeah. Had a really good run there on the back nine. I think what was that, four birdies in your last five or six holes. Take us through what was working well at the end and a couple of those birdie holes.

CELINE BOUTIER: Yeah, I mean, I started being a little bit frustrated at the beginning of the back because I missed a few birdie putts, and then I had a good chance, I think the first one was on the par-3, 13. Made a really good putt. It was about 12 feet or something and really kept me going.

Had a short putt on the Par-5, 14 and made another solid 10-footer on 15 to get me going.

So I feel like I just -- my long game has been very solid. Just been putting myself in a lot of birdie opportunities, and thankfully today I made a little bit more putts.

Q. Yeah. I see you also are like one of the first in the field in hitting greens in regulation. How important is it to hit those greens here and hit them like in the right spot, too?

CELINE BOUTIER: Yeah, I mean, it's key, because I know that there is going to be a lot of birdie chances out here, and I feel like the more chances you're going to have the better, because you're not going to make everything.

So it's definitely very good for my confidence I feel like, because I know I'm going to have some chances even when, you know, I didn't get the best of starts, kind of slow.

But I knew there were some chances out there left so I kept being patient and doing my thing and it worked out.

Q. I've talked to you several times in the last couple weeks it feels like. What's the key to keeping your game consistent across all these different courses and playing environments?

CELINE BOUTIER: Not sure. I feel like I do like the challenge of having a different course, different challenges every week, that we're not playing the same courses really.

Just because you have to adapt a little bit more to the week, and I think that just keeps me interested and keeps me motivated to, you know, take on the challenges of the week or of the day.

Q. Uh-huh. Took really good advantage of moving day, so last question: What do you have to do again tomorrow do you think to really put some pressure on the leaders as you're sitting near the top of the leaderboard?

CELINE BOUTIER: I think it's going to be the same thing. I don't think the leaders are going to shoot high scores or anything, so I'm just going to have to go as low as I can.

Like I said, just putting myself out there and just having the most chances for birdies is definitely going to be helping me to have more birdies.

Q. You came in playing well obviously and it's I would assume a new golf course for you. How do you go about attacking a new golf course when you haven't seen it before? Obviously played a couple practice rounds. How do you go about attacking a new golf course?

CELINE BOUTIER: Actually, I like to have new courses because you don't really have any expectations. You kind of start fresh, so you just go on the practice rounds, get some good lines, and not really overthink anything.

Sometimes when you play too much you're like, oh, yeah, right, this one I remember. I missed left and it wasn't good, I did this and I did that.

When it's a new course it makes it simpler. Just pick a target and hit, and sometimes it's helpful in that way.

Q. Poana greens here. Do you traditionally like putting on poana greens? Have you done well with them?

CELINE BOUTIER: Not necessarily in the past. I've definitely come around it a little bit because I feel like I've had only good performances on poana, which kind of help me get more confidence.

I feel like these ones aren't too poana though. I feel like they're rolling a little bit smoother, so I haven't really honestly overthought about it.

I just tried to go out and hit some solid strokes and putts.

Q. How were conditions today compared to the previous two days, especially on the greens? About the same?

CELINE BOUTIER: I think pretty similar. I did feel like maybe -- I would say maybe a tad slower, but very similar.