| -13 C Boutier (Fra); -10 M Stark (Swe), P Tavatanakit (Tha); -9 M Sagstroem (Swe) -8 N Estrup (Den); -7 H Shibuno (Jpn), S Kemp (Aus), C Hedwall (Swe) |
| Selected others:-4 E Givens (Eng); -2 G Dryburgh (Sco), MJ Lee (Aus); +2 C Hull (Eng); +3 L Duncan (Sco) |
| Full leaderboard |
Celine Boutier takes a three-shot lead into the final day of the Women’s Scottish Open as she looks to secure back-to-back titles.
Having won her first major last Sunday on home soil at the Evian Championship, the French player surged in front at Dundonald Links with a six-under 66.
Paphangkorn Tavatanakit of Thailand matched that score to head the chase on 10 under with Sweden’s Maja Stark (72).
Halfway leader Hinako Shibuno tumbled to six off the pace with a 77.
England’s Eleanor Givens is four under following her 72, while Gemma Dryburgh is the top Scot on two under after posting four front-nine birdies in a 68.
World number four Boutier, the Scottish Open runner-up last year, also made a flying start, gaining four shots in her opening seven holes.
A bogey at nine stalled her momentum but four further birdies – including the 17th and 18th – and just one dropped shot allowed her to capitalise on Stark’s late struggles.
The Swede had held a two-shot lead after a birdie on the 10th, but bogeys on three of her final eight holes knocked her into a tie for second.
Boutier, 29, said: “I’ve definitely been playing well and the fact I got a good result last week also is giving me a little bit of confidence. I’m just trying to build off of that and hopefully have a good, solid round tomorrow.
“I’m trying to stay focused and I feel like this course is pretty challenging with the weather conditions. When you’re playing well, it’s easier to be positive about it.
“I made a bogey on nine, which also fired me up a little bit. It was nice to get some more energy going. I’m just going to try to hopefully play the same and stick to my game-plan and see what happens.”
