GREENWOOD, S.C. (AP) - France’s Celine Boutier beat Paola Moreno on the first extra hole Sunday to win the Self Regional Healthcare Foundation Women’s Health Classic for her first Symetra Tour title.
Boutier birdied the par-5 18th in the playoff, and Moreno made a bogey.
“I’m just pretty relieved that the playoff is over. It was pretty stressful for me,” the 23-year-old former Duke player said. “I’m really proud of how I handled the pressure this week.”
Boutier closed with an even-par 72 to match Moreno at 10-under 278 at The Links at Stoney Point.
Boutier earned $30,000 to jump from 20th to second on the money list with $39,295 in six events in her rookie season. The final top 10 will earn LPGA Tour cards.
“I’m a little surprised it happened this early in the season, but I am super excited about it,” Boutier said. “I tried during the playoff not to think about the consequences and the big picture of a win. I just stuck to one shot at a time and didn’t think about what a win would mean.”
Moreno had a 74 after taking a two-stroke lead into the final round.
In the playoff, Boutier hit to just short of the green in two and chipped to 3 feet. Moreno missed the green long and right and had a tough chip back.
“I played great golf and I leave super happy with my performance,” Moreno said. “I did my best today and I came up short. Celine played great golf and she won it. I have been playing super solid all year and I hope a win comes soon.”
Canada’s Anne-Catherine Tanguay (73) was third at 9 under. She leads the money list with $39,387.
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