[Photo: Emilee Chinn]
Celine Boutier’s Sunday started with an inspirational conversation before she teed off in the final round of the ShopRite LPGA Classic. The tour veteran and major winner met LPGA superfan Evelyn King-White, an 11-year-old who has been battling Stage 2 Hodgkin’s Lymphoma.
Boutier surprised King-White near the clubhouse at Seaview Hotel & Golf Club as part of a meet-and-greet. Boutier then announced that the young girl would be going on a trip to Disney World, courtesy of the Childhood Cancer Centre.
Yet King-White wasn’t the only one who was touched by the moment. Said Boutier: “It set me up for a good mood for the day.”
Celine Boutier got to meet LPGA super fan Evelyn before her round to present her with a dream trip to Disney from the Childhood Cancer Society ❤️ pic.twitter.com/id5le0EngU
— LPGA (@LPGA) May 31, 2026
The 32-year-old Frenchwoman then proceeded to deliver a spectacular performance with a five-under 66 to come from four shots behind and win with a nine-under 204 total. Boutier claimed the $US300,000 first-place prizemoney payout from a purse of the $US2 million, winning by a shot over Arpichaya Yubol, who was penalised a stroke for slow play a day earlier.
“It’s very special,” Boutier said after posting rounds of 66-72-66 on a course where she had previously won in 2021. “It’s already a special tournament for me and to win again makes it more special. I have such great memories and have met such cool people in pro ams.”
King-White, who lives in Towson, Maryland, and participates in First Tee Greater Baltimore, is having a fantastic May, too. Earlier this month, she rang the bell, signifying the end of her treatment. “I cried happy tears for a long time,” King-White said in a text message.
Then, King-White closed out the month following Boutier, her favourite player, in the gallery and was there for the trophy presentation on the 18th green.
“I was definitely Celine’s good luck charm,” King-White said. “I watched her on every hole.”
Sports can be a powerful healing tool, and King-White says she has benefited from golf, crediting the First Tee and Eagles Nest Golf Club with supporting her during her cancer journey.
Evelyn King-White ringing the bell after finishing her cancer treatment.
King-White will have a PET scan in July to make sure the radiation has been successful. Her First Tee coach has told her that she has a great putting stroke, just like Boutier.
Not surprisingly, it was a key putt that helped propel Boutier to victory. On the 14th hole, she rolled in a 35-foot birdie effort that put her into the lead for good.
Celine Boutier with a looooooong birdie to regain the solo lead pic.twitter.com/V7Jh7HUvW3
— LPGA (@LPGA) May 31, 2026
A couple of times during her round, Boutier noticed King-White was following her group. “It definitely felt very heartwarming to see her on the course and watching me after I had the chance to meet her,” Boutier said. “I definitely feel like we had a little bit of connection there. Seeing her at the end as well was super cool.”
Boutier won her seventh LPGA event but first title in 2½ years. There’s no statistic for making someone’s day, but Boutier would be padding those stats as well if there were such a thing. Last year, she became an ambassador for the Make-A-Wish Foundation in France. She had a bonus wish in New Jersey on Sunday.
And now, Boutier takes the win and good vibes to the Los Angeles area, where she’ll compete in the US Women’s Open at Riviera Country Club, hoping to win a second major title. She’s already won the Amundi Evian Championship in her home country in 2023. Given a week in which she made a new friend and won, it would extend a special streak.
“It was really fun for me to be able to do that for her,” Boutier said. “It’s very humbling and very nice to meet her and she was so excited. It got my day off on the right foot.”