North Las Vegas, Nevada – Celine Butier continued to move on. And then go. And then go.
And it’s still going on.
After surviving 28 holes in the 16th round on Saturday to beat Ashleeve High, Boutier returned to the Shadow Creek course after 30 minutes, with T-Mobile Match playing the quarter final against Madelene Sagstrom. The match was suspended due to the darkness that players were tied together with 17 holes.
It means that the French woman has 45 holes per day, and the French will return on Sunday morning to complete the match against Sagstrom.
“Yeah, it’s been a very long day,” Boutier said. “It feels a bit tired, but I feel like it was a good match to go back and forth again this afternoon and get back and forth between Madeleines. So I’ve been pushing it until tomorrow.”
Boutier’s 16-round victory was the longest match in the event’s five-year history. The previous record was 22 holes and was set twice. Buhai bogeyed the final hole, allowing Boutier to move forward with pars.
Sagstrom also spent a lot of time beating Carlota Ciganda in 19 holes. However, Sagstrom had to wait more than two hours before teeing again.
The winner will face Angel Inn in the semi-finals. Yin is one of the last four two Americans. Lauren Cofflin is one more.
Yin and Yang took care of the second player, Jeeno Thitikul, and won 4 and 2, defeating the player who steamed his opponent this week. Yin, however, took the lead with a difficult downhill tip from right next to the green for a birdie on the par 13 13th hole.
“It could happen on this golf course, anything could happen and I was like, ‘OK, at least I’m now, I’m one up now,'” said Yin, who is from Los Angeles. “I was like one in the beginning, but all the squares, one down again, one day, until 16, I was missing two feet.
Cofflin, who lives in Charlottesville, Virginia, defeated Stephanie Kyriakou 1 to advance to the semi-finals. Coughlin has played at least 18 holes in every match.
“I definitely feel that on my legs. I think I was a bit tired starting the first few holes,” Cofflin said. “Then the adrenaline started taking over there probably through about an eight or nine. I finally started to feel mentally like I was back.”
Her opponent is Aliya Jutanugaan, who defeated Maja Stark 4 and 2. This came the day after Jutanugaan defeated top-ranked defending champion Nelly Korda 1-.
Jutanugarn maintained a carefree attitude during round robin play, but acknowledged that the closer you get to the potential title of the tournament, the more difficult it is to maintain that mindset.
“So I told myself as soon as I got up to the tee, I just do my best with every shot,” Jutanugaan said. “It’s tough. Today, it’s got into my head that I want to win, I want to go into the final four. I always say I have to go back to myself and do my best with every shot.”
In the other 16 matches, Thitikul routed Nataliya Guseva 8 and 7, Yin defeated Mao Saigo 3 and 2, Kyriacou edged Lim Kim 2 and 1, Coughlin defeated Sei Young Kim 2-Up, Stark easily defeated Brook Henderson 5 and 4, and Jutanugarn up Narin 1.