Celine Boutier (65) jumps into lead at LPGA Drive On

Jun 2, 2022; Southern Pines, North Carolina, USA; Celine Boutier hits an approach shot on the seventeenth hole during the first round of the U.S. Women's Open. Mandatory Credit: Geoff Burke-USA TODAY Sports

Credit: Geoff Burke-USA TODAY Sports

Celine Boutier of France fired a 7-under-par 65 in Saturday’s third round to vault to the top of the leaderboard at the LPGA Drive On Championship in Gold Canyon, Ariz.

Boutier began the round in a tie for seventh. Now, she sits at 16-under 200, with three players — Thailand’s Moriya Jutanugarn, Alison Lee, South Korea’s Hae Ran Ryu — just one shot back.

Ariya Jutanugarn of Thailand and Celine Borge of Norway carded matching 63s to jump 34 spots up the leaderboard into a tie for fifth at 14 under.

Twelve players are T7 at 13 under, well within striking distance just three shots back.

Boutier opened her scoring with an eagle on the par-5 second hole. She would go on to post six birdies against one bogey.

But as impressive as that was, Ariya Jutanugarn turned in a clean round with nine birdies. Meanwhile, Borge opened her round with four straight birdies, finishing with eight for her round, adding an eagle on the par-5 18th.

“I just felt everything just went in the hole,” Borge said. “I started holing a long putt on the first one and then I just made four birdies in a row, so I got off to a good start.”

Ryu also posted a clean round, recording six birdies and an eagle on the 18th hole for a third-round 64.

“I finished yesterday’s round with birdie so I figured out a good momentum today, and just finishing with an eagle on last hole showed it was a good round today,” Ryu said.

Moriya Jutanugarn shot 69 and Alison Lee 67 to join Ryu one shot back.

–Field Level Media

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