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Celine Boutier lifts second LET title in stormy Australia

Celine Boutier wins in Australia

Celine Boutier won the inaugural Australian Ladies Classic Bonville on the Coffs Coast after a weather-interrupted final day.

The 24-year-old from France shot a final round of 73 to finish on 10 under par and claim her second Ladies European Tour title by two shots ahead of American Katie Burnett.

Boutier virtually assured herself of the title with a third round of 67, played in heavy rain on Saturday, which gave her a five-stroke lead heading into the last round at Bonville Golf Resort.

Sunday's play teed off in beautiful, sunny conditions and the second-year professional began with two birdies and a bogey in her first seven holes. She kept her five-stroke advantage through the turn before Burnett birdied the 10th to get within four strokes.

Celine Boutier
Image: Celine Boutier held off Katie Burnett to win by two shots

But torrential rain then forced play to be suspended for almost four hours, although the course drained remarkably quickly and Boutier's lead was trimmed to three when she bogeyed the 13th.

Boutier and Burnett both dropped shots at the 15th and Burnett missed a tricky four-footer at the 17th which would have put further pressure on the leader down the final hole.

Burnett did manage to close with a birdie, but Boutier recovered from driving into the trees to make a solid par, and she said: "It feels great. I really enjoyed playing at Bonville Golf Resort and I'm proud of how I handled the weather conditions.

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"We had a little bit of everything with a delay in the middle of the round, so it wasn't too easy to get back into the rhythm, but I'm pleased that we finished.

LPGA Tour Golf

"I was a bit nervous, because I wanted to finish before dark and it's not always easy when you go back out after a delay; it was definitely tough. I had two bogeys after we went back out, but I did my best. I feel like I managed it pretty well."

Iceland's Valdis Thora Jonsdottir (70) ended one stroke further back in outright third position, which equalled her career-best finish, while Sweden's Daniela Holmqvist (71) ended in fourth on seven under.

Halfway leader Holly Clyburn from England shared fifth place with Denmark's Nanna Koerstz Madsen, with Charlotte Thompson also enjoying a top-10 finish.

The Ladies European Tour and Australian Ladies Professional Golf Tour next move to nearby Coffs Harbour Golf Club for the Women's NSW Open, for the fifth week of major women's golf tournaments in Australia.

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