The French n ° 1 Céline Boutier alone at the helm of the Founders Cup, author of an impressive 64 (-8) during the first tournament of the season on American soil in honor of the 13 women who founded the LPGA. The French n ° 1 makes France shine at the head of the leader for this first lap.

Céline Boutier - © TPlassais / swing-feminin.com

Céline Boutier ended her turn late with a birdie putt of 1m on the par-20. from 4.
The Frenchwoman won the Vic Open last month, her first LPGA Tour title.

"It definitely made me more confident in my game, in my ability to win here"said Céline Boutier. “I feel like I lacked confidence last year. "

Also, PXG announced Thursday the arrival of Céline Boutier as the brand's new ambassador on the Tour.

"It's super exciting because I've been playing with their clubs for a year now", expressed the French n ° 1, ex university champion of Duke.

“Golf is sometimes a strange game. I wasn't expecting a good score today as it's the first day ”, said Na Yeon Choi, 2012 US Women's Open champion and nine-time tour medalist. “I train hard, of course, but it's hard to predict how I'm going to play. Less waiting, always gives better results. "

Jenny Shin, a close friend, waited until Choi had finished before offering him a glass of champagne to celebrate his return.

"I'm just happy to be on the fairway and walking with some friends," said Na Yeon Choi.

At 31, the South Korean tried to solve her back problem before finally solving it last April, on the advice of her friends Beth Daniel and Meg Mallon, former players of the Tour.

"I continued to play golf and my swing only got worse and I hit my ball left and right," said Choi. “My mind broke completely, I just wanted my body to prepare first. "

She took two weeks of vacation in Europe to change her mind.

"I didn't think about golf," said Choi. “I didn't worry every day, you see. I wake up when I want and eat what I want. It was a very different life. I think I was a bit of a robot when I was a kid and played well on the LPGA Tour. I couldn't do anything but play golf. Only golf, only golf. Kind 100% focused on golf. "

When she got the golf bug again, she took her time and relaxed.

"I try to drink beer, to be a little tipsy and to play golf"said Choi. “Because we always play serious golf. I just like to play while having fun. "

Alana Uriell, Charlotte Thomas, Jin Young Ko and Nanna Koerstz Madsen are tied with Choi with a card of 65. Uriell won a Symetra Tour event two weeks ago in Florida for his professional debut, making an eagle on the first hole of a playoff.

"It gave me a lot of confidence to come to the LPGA Tour with a win under my belt," said Uriell. “I feel a little more comfortable here so I don't mind letting go and seeing what I'm capable of. "

Sung Hyun Park, Shin, Carlota Ciganda, Pornanong Phatlum and Cheyenne Knight, who qualified on Monday, scored 66.

Sarah Schmelzel, a former Phoenix High School star, started her third tournament with a score of 67. She was her school's champion in 2011.

"It was very comfortable to look outside the cords and see here my boyfriend, my mom, my dad, my brother and the people from the golf club where I grew up" explained Schmelzel.

In 2001, her golf-loving father - alerted by a friend that Annika Sorenstam was smashing the Moon Valley course record in the Standard Register Ping - picked her up from elementary school in time to watch the nine. last holes of the Tour record of 59 set by Sorenstam.

"I just remember being called to the Headmaster's office," said Schmelzel. “I was like, 'Oh, no. It's not good ". I saw my dad at the reception and he said, “Okay, we're going to Moon Valley. ""

Lydia Ko and Brooke Henderson also scored 67.

Nelly Korda rolled a 68. She won the Women's Australian Open last month for her second victory on the LPGA Tour and leads the Money List.

Defending champion Inbee Park completed a lap of 69.

Xiyu Lin made a hole-in-one on the 17th for a final score of 70. She used a 9 iron over a distance of 130 meters.

The other French women

There are three of them present in Arizona alongside the recent winner of the Vic Open,. Karine Icher made her comeback to competition, after giving birth to her second daughter in November, returning a 72 (par) card including two bogeys and two birdies. At 40, the former number 1 tricolor has not given up on her ambition to win in the LPGA, and aims to participate in the Tokyo Olympics in 2020. At the end of the first round, she is in 73rd position.

Céline Herbin and Joanna Klatten, for their part, experienced more difficulties in 111th, and 136th position.

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