Sometimes, the more you want something, the harder it becomes to obtain. French golfer Céline Boutier knows that as well as anyone.
The 29-year-old has risen to become one of the best players on the LPGA Tour since turning pro in 2016, propelled by a string of top-10 performances in major championships. The world No. 15 has finished at least seventh in all but one of the game’s flagship events.
All except the one she wants to impress at most of all – The Evian Championship.
Tied-29th marks Boutier’s best outing in six appearances at her home major, hosted at Evian Resort Golf Club in Evian-les-Bains, a five-and-a-half-hour drive from her home in Montrouge in the Parisian suburbs.
On Thursday, the tournament will tee off for its 10th year as a major championship. Boutier will be one of four French players among the star-studded 132-player field, and the quartet can count on heavy home support from behind the ropes.
“I feel like you put a little bit more pressure on yourself because you want to perform and not disappoint anybody,” Boutier told CNN.
“Being on home soil definitely hasn’t been easy for me to handle myself and my emotions … it’s the only tournament that I get to play at home and I feel like there’s definitely a lot more attention.”
Complicating matters further is the course itself. Nestled at the bottom of the Swiss Alps with views overlooking Lake Geneva, flat areas are few and far between at hilly Evian. An emphasis on long game does not play to the strengths of Boutier, who was ranked 104th in LPGA Tour driving distance on the eve of the tournament.
But as a three-time major winner on the LPGA Tour, Boutier knows she is capable of challenging on any terrain, and those victories could well hold the key to breaking her home hoodoo.
“I’m definitely trying to see the course from a different lens and just try to take it like a regular tournament,” Boutier said.
“Just doing all the preparation and the work ahead of time so you feel prepared and a little bit more confident going into the tournament, then just focus on each shot at a time.”
Olympics calling
But no matter how much home support Boutier receives at the Evian Championship, it is unlikely to rival anything she will likely ever experience when the Olympics arrives in Paris next year.
Staged at Golf National, 41 kilometres southwest of Paris in the city of Saint-Quentin-en-Yvelines, it’s a venue with serious pedigree, having hosted the 2018 Ryder Cup.
Boutier is trying not to think ahead, but it’s a losing battle when – naturally – people keep asking her about it.
“I am fortunate enough to know the course, so I’m definitely trying to picture some of the holes and stuff like that,” Boutier said.
“It’s going to be unbelievable. I’m so looking forward to the experience and being able to share it with not only the French athletes, but also with my family and my friends being there.
“I think it’s going to definitely be a special week and I’ll probably remember it forever.”
Before then though is the small matter of another international competition: The Solheim Cup.
The 18th edition of the biennial team competition touches down at Finca Cortesin in Andalusia, Spain in September.
As the fourth highest ranked European on the LPGA Tour, Boutier is in strong contention to make her third appearance in the blue and yellow uniform. Her Solheim Cup résumé will only help her chances; two appearances, two wins for Team Europe, and a 78% win rate in her matches.
“I just really enjoy playing as a team,” Boutier said.
“You get to share the emotions … it’s really nice to be able to rely on someone else and being able to share the highs and lows.”
At a tournament famed for its atmosphere, Boutier is expecting the crowd to crank up the sound as Europe chases a famous three-peat.
“I feel like the Spanish crowd is always very passionate, so I will be expecting a lot of noise,” she said.
“But I think it’s going to be fun and hopefully we can ride the wave and get the cup back again.”
