Celine Boutier hits off the 10th tee during the first day of round-robin play in the LPGA Bank of Hope Match Play golf tournament Wednesday, May 24, 2023, in North Las Vegas, Nev. (AP Photo/John Locher)
NORTH LAS VEGAS, Nev. (AP) – Former Duke and Solheim Cup teammates Celine Boutier and Leona Maguire remained undefeated Saturday at Shadow Creek to set up a semifinal match in the Bank of Hope LPGA Match Play.
The third-seeded Boutier, from France, edged Ayaka Furue of Japan 2 and 1 in the quarterfinals. The seventh-seeded Maguire, from Ireland, held off American Lindsey Weaver-Wright 3 and 2.
In the other semifinal Sunday morning, Linn Grant of Sweden will face Pajaree Anannarukarn of Thailand. Grant beat Albane Valenzuela of Switzerland 3 and 1, and Anannarukarn edged Carlota Ciganda of Spain 3 and 2 to crash the European party.
The 29-year-old Boutier, a two-time European Solheim Cup player, won the LPGA Drive On Championship in March at Superstition Mountain in Arizona for her third LPGA Tour title. She topped Angel Yin 4 and 2 in the morning in the round of 16.
Maguire, 28, won the 2022 LPGA Drive On Championship in Florida for her lone LPGA Tour title. She beat Perrine Delacour 5 and 3 in the round of 16.
“Really happy to get through 36 holes today,” Maguire said. “It’s nice to be in the semifinal. Played some really solid golf today. A little scrappy maybe this afternoon, but knew it was going to be a battle out there and it was just a case of staying patient. Yeah, did enough to make it to tomorrow.”
The eighth-seeded Grant is winless on the LPGA Tour. The 23-year-old Swede starred at Arizona State.
“It’s stressful to play match play,” Grant said. “You get so happy when you get that win, and right now I’m just really very happy and excited for tomorrow.”
Anannarukarn, seeded 36th, won the 2021 ISPS Handa World Invitational in Northern Ireland for her only LPGA Tour title. She’s also 23.
“Just try to stay in the present moment,” Anannarukarn said. “That’s what I’ve been doing well and I’m glad that I was able to focus on that.”
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