Everything had started so well for Céline Boutier. The Frenchwoman had started her quarter-final perfectly with a birdie at 4, then leading 2up following Ayaka Furue’s double bogey at hole number 3. But the Japanese came back, first by a length thanks to a birdie at 7 before to equalize at 12, due to a bogey conceded by the Habs. The duel then got carried away since the native of Clamart regained the advantage in stride, at hole number 13… before her opponent reset the counters again to zero at 14.
Ayaka Furue in the race for a second straight final in Nevada
If the finalist of the 2022 edition of the Bank of Hope LPGA Match-Play then recorded a birdie on 16, Céline Boutier also made a mistake with a double bogey on 17. An error synonymous with defeat (2 & 1) for the triple winner on the American circuit and therefore elimination. On her birthday, Ayaka Furue therefore offered herself a place in the last four and confided after her second qualification of the day: “I’m happy to have won today (Saturday editor’s note). It was a very difficult game. It’s tough mentally and physically to have two laps in one day.“
Leona Maguire received 5 out of 5
In the semi-finals, the 23-year-old will face Leona Maguire. Falling from Perrine Delacour in the previous round, the Irishwoman won her fifth match in a row, this time dismissing Lindsey Weaver-Wright (3 & 2). The adventure also continues for Linn Grant, the Swede dominated Albane Valenzuela (3 & 1) and will challenge Pajaree Anannarukarn for a place in the final. For her part, the Thai won her quarter against Carlota Ciganda with a score of 3 & 2.