SINGAPORE – It is Oct 29, 2023, the fourth and final day of the LPGA Tour’s Maybank Championship. Celine Boutier’s day begins at 6.55am, two hours before her tee time.
The Frenchwoman trails American 54-hole leader Rose Zhang by five shots and Thailand’s Atthaya Thitikul by four.
Under hot and humid conditions in Kuala Lumpur, Boutier shoots an eight-under 64, putting her back in contention. Her day is not over yet, though.
At about 2pm, she waits in the clubhouse with her eyes locked on the TV screen. Atthaya makes her final putt and ties Boutier’s score at 21-under 267.
The duo cannot be separated after four days and 72 holes of competition. Like extra time in football and overtime in basketball, golf’s sudden-death play-off pushes the mental limits of golfers.
A brief weather delay after the first play-off hole adds to the tension for Boutier.
Recalling the drama, the 30-year-old, who is competing at the ongoing HSBC Women’s World Championship along with many of the world’s top golfers, told The Straits Times: “I really just tried to stay patient.
“I talked to my family for a bit then went and settled myself in the locker room, away from the noise, just to be by myself.”
The skies clear and Boutier is back on the course. Another eight play-off holes are played before she finally wins with a birdie at the KL Golf and Country Club.
“I wasn’t even aware of how many holes there had been, but I knew it was a while. And then when I finally won, it definitely felt like a relief,” she said.
In 2023, 12 of the 33 LPGA events were decided by a play-off. With little margin for error and high stakes, how do professional golfers deal with the palpable tension under the glare of the entire gallery?
Hannah Green, 27, who won the LA Championship in a shoot-out, remembers the pressure.
“Play-offs can be very nerve-racking. I didn’t have much time to think. I was the last one into the clubhouse. I only felt nervous when I was walking onto the green after hitting my tee shot on the par-three 18th closest to the pin. People expect you to make those, and luckily I did.”
But Minjee Lee, 27, who had two wins and a loss in play-offs in 2023, believes it should be treated no differently from regulation play.
“Whether your last putt makes a difference to winning or not, you’re obviously going to put 100 per cent into it. That’s pretty much what we think about as a professional,” she said.
“When you lose, of course it’s bad. But there’s also lots of positives. Golf is a funny game. There are more losses than wins. You just have to refocus for the next week.”
Lilia Vu, who won the 2023 Chevron Championship – her first Major – via a play-off, added: “I just tell myself I’ve hit the shot a million times, like it’s just another shot.”
To cultivate such a ruthless mindset takes time and experience. These are things that Grace Kim, 23, did not possess when she encountered a play-off early into her first full LPGA season at the 2023 Lotte Championship. But she counted on her caddie Michael Curry for the win.
She said: “I was still trying to wrap my head around the idea of a play-off. So I really just relied on my caddie. We had a fine drive down the fairway, but it was a very awkward green.
“You either lay up left or go for it. I said I’ll be laying up but my caddie was like, ‘we’re here to win this thing, aren’t we?’ So I just hit a three wood and it bounced favourably. I got really lucky.”
Ironically, luck is what Ko Jin-young believes is the deciding factor in a play-off.
“I just prepare my balls and tees. I don’t want to waste my time or energy. Seventy-two holes is enough. I don’t like play-offs. I just want to finish,” she added.
Back at the 2023 Maybank Championship, it is about 7pm and Boutier finally lifts the trophy after 81 gruelling holes. But there is no time to celebrate. She rushes to the airport to catch an 11pm red-eye flight to Florida, United States, for her next tournament.
“I still have to stay focused and not get ahead of myself,” she said.
