BOUTIER SIZZLES IN SHENZHEN, AS CHIP-IN EAGLE GIVES FRENCH STAR SOLE LEAD

A delightful chip-in on the 18^th hole allowed Frenchwoman Celine Boutier to leapfrog her way to the top of the leaderboard, on the first day of the Aramco Team Series presented by PIF – Shenzhen.

Playing in the Golf Saudi and China Golf Association (CGA) co-organized event at Mission Hills China, Boutier started the round slowly, reacting from a bogey on the first hole to eventually fire seven birdies and an eagle.

Boutier holds a one-stroke lead on Angel Yin, Xiyu Lin and Sara Kouskova, who were all in the clubhouse tied for first place on six-under-par, before Boutier’s deft chip on her final hole.

“It was a good first round, I feel like I stayed patient the whole round and finished really well, with five or six birdies towards the end,” said the Olympic and Solheim Cup competitor.

“There’s a lot of work still to do the next few days, but I’m happy to have a good, solid start.”

“I had a little chip in on the last hole to make an eagle. I was a bit worried about it, because the line was not great but thankfully, I was able to get a good contact.”

The team competition, which will end following round two, is tightly contested, with Spaniard Marta Martin leading her team to a one-stroke lead at the end of the first day, on 20-under-par.

“It was a great day,” said captain Martin. “I think the key to success is that everybody played really well. We have a great team atmosphere; when someone wasn't doing well, the other one was there, and it was a situation of synergy.”

Team Martin will be pushed all the way on day two, however, with American duo Alison Lee and Angel Yin driving their team to 18-under-par, whilst local favorite Xiyu Lin’s team sit on 17-under-par, also poised to make a challenge.

Lin’s team features more than one Chinese superstar, with revered pop singer Sun Nan playing as the amateur in her team – having sold 10 million albums and performed the official song of the 2008 Beijing Olympics.

“It's been amazing,” said Xiyu Lin of her round today. “I always have great time coming back to my home fans and there’s a lot of crowds out here, especially this week as a national holiday.

“The amateur in the group, he's so famous, he's a superstar! I would be curious to ask my parents, because I didn't tell them that I'm playing with him, but my parents followed 18 holes today, I’d like to see how excited they are seeing him!”

The tournament is Xiyu Lin’s first back in China since securing a bronze medal at the Summer Olympics, and the national hero is keen to make the most of this experience.

“I want to keep that momentum going,” she concluded. “I wanted to make people happy about watching my game, so no matter how I do, it’s about making people smile as much as possible.”

Day two of the Aramco Team Series presented by PIF – Shenzhen will continue Oct 5 at Mission Hills China, with the team winner crowned at the end of play.

This is the fourth Aramco Team Series presented by PIF of the season, following tournaments in Florida, Seoul and London. After Shenzhen, the Series - which was first brought to the Ladies European Tour by Golf Saudi in 2021, adding $5 million in annual prize-money every season since - will climax at Riyadh Golf Club in the Saudi Arabian capital, October 31 - November 2.