Celine Boutier continued her fine form in France carding a 67 (-4) to hold a three-shot lead at the end of the third round of the Amundi Evian Championship.
The Frenchwoman, who led overnight at the midway mark, picked up where she left off yesterday with birdies at the second, fifth, seventh and ninth holes at Evian Resort Golf Club.
Boutier dropped her only shot of the day on the 12th hole but soon bounced back with her fifth birdie of the day to move to a total of 11-under-par and hold a three-shot lead with one round remaining at the fourth major of the year.
“I’m feeling very satisfied with my round,” said Boutier. “It was definitely a grind. I was able to start off pretty good. I missed a few shots in the beginning of the back nine, but was able to scramble, and so it was pretty positive and a solid round for me today.
“I didn’t start that good to be honest. I missed the first three greens but got a good break on 2 and was able to chip in. Then I just had really good chances on the two par-fives, seven and nine, and was able to take advantage of that.
“I was just trying to focus on making, hitting a good shot, and if I happen to have a birdie opportunity, I hit a solid putt. It was definitely positive and felt pretty good to start very good on the front.”
Boutier, who is number 15 in the world, is the top-ranked French player and has been feeling the home support this week but has also been trying not to put any pressure on herself.
She added: “It’s been amazing. It’s been really amazing to be able to see and hear the support from the fans. I feel like it’s been very enjoyable for me. I am just trying to take it one shot at a time.
“The fact that my family is here and we’re staying in a house 15, 20 minutes away kind of really helps me take my mind off golf and the tournament. That’s been helpful for me to really kind of relax and not think about golf.”
Japan’s Nasa Hataoka sits in solo second place on eight-under-par having produced a third round of 68 (-3).
It was a hot start for the six-time LPGA Tour winner with a birdie on the first, before a bogey on the third, but she then rolled in four birdies in-a-row on holes four through seven.
Hataoka added another birdie on the ninth to make the turn in 30 (-5) but had a more difficult back nine making two bogeys for her round of 68.
“I was dialled in, especially front nine today, but unfortunately I was not able to make chances on back nine,” said the Japanese player.
“Hopefully I will get more birdies tomorrow. It was good iron shots and distance control. Also I was good too with my putting stroke, so I was really comfortable. Tomorrow is another new day, and I want to enjoy the next 18 holes.”
Minjee Lee and Brooke Henderson, who are champions of the past two editions of the Championship, sit in a share of third place on seven-under-par.
Australia’s Lee produced a round of 66 (-5) to move herself up the leaderboard which included seven birdies and two bogeys.
“It was pretty solid,” said the 2021 champion. “I feel like I’ve had something missing the first couple of days, and then today I still made two bogeys on five and six.
“I finished the front nine strong and then had a good back nine. You could be a little bit more aggressive today just with the conditions, not much wind and obviously the 15th and the 18th being kind of reachable.
“I’ve been here ten or so years, I also played as an am. Over the years you get the lines right and the quirkiness of the greens a little more down, so I think it’s been helping. Every year I come; I feel like there is somewhere that I haven’t been on the course before.
“It’s good to have the experience under my belt. I felt like it was kind of coming together, so hopefully I can keep the momentum going for tomorrow.”
While defending champion Henderson was in phenomenal form on the front nine rolling in six birdies to make the turn in 29.
The Canadian recovered from a double bogey on the 12th and bogey on the 14th to make another birdie on the 15th for her round of 67 (-4) on day three at Evian.
Henderson explained: “The front nine was a lot of fun. I was really enjoying myself out there. I felt like I was doing everything properly. I was hitting a lot of fairways, greens, giving myself good looks.
“Then I made a couple really long putts which was really a bonus. The front nine was really great. I was unfortunate to drop a few shots on the back nine, but I guess that’s what makes it a major championship. This course can jump up at any time, so you have to stay patient.”
Three-time LET winner Nelly Korda fired the round of the day with a bogey-free 64 (-7) to propel herself up the leaderboard into a tie for fifth place alongside Japan’s Yuka Saso.
Korea’s A Lim Kim and American Alison Lee are one shot further back in T7, while five players are in a share of ninth place on four-under-par including Scotland’s Gemma Drybrugh and Norway’s Celine Borge.
The fourth round will begin at 6.55 am (local time) with the final group of Boutier and Hataoka teeing it up at 12.25 pm (local time).
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