Celine Boutier Claims Incredible Maybank Championship In Nine Hole Playoff

The final round of the Maybank Championship was filled with thrills and spills, with Celine Boutier firing an eight-under-par final round of 64 to get in to a playoff with former World No.1, Atthaya Thitikul.

Going into the final day, it was Rose Zhang who was looking for a second LPGA Tour title in just her 12th start. However, when the American could only card a one-under round of 71, it was left to her playing partner, Thitikul, to birdie three of her last four holes to get into a playoff alongside Boutier.

Coming from four back, you could say the momentum was on the side of Boutier, with the Frenchwoman looking to pick up a fourth LPGA Tour title of 2023, with one of those being a Major victory at the Evian Championship.

Playing the 18th, the duo of Boutier and Thitikul both parred the first two playoff holes, with further pars at the par 3 15th meaning we moved to a fourth, the par 5 18th again.

This time around, the pair holed good birdie putts and, after yet more pars came at the par 3 15th, we were on to a sixth playoff hole. For reference, and in case you were wondering, the record for the longest playoff on the LPGA Tour was 10 holes in 1972.

Certainly, after both made pars at the sixth and seventh playoff holes, it seemed destined that we were in for a repeat of Eugenio Chacarra and Matt Jones' battle in August on the Asian Tour, a playoff which went to 10 holes at St Andrews!

Birdieing the eighth extra hole, neither Boutier and Thitikul were backing down. However, it was the more experienced Boutier who eventually got it done over the 20-year-old Thai, as Boutier stuck it close at the par 3 15th and holed her birdie putt for a ninth playoff hole victory and $450,000 first prize.