NORTH LAS VEGAS, Nev. (AP) — Celine Boutier kept going. And going. And going.
And is still going.
After surviving 28 holes in the round of 16 on Saturday to beat Ashleigh Buhai, Boutier returned to the Shadow Creek course 30 minutes later for her T-Mobile Match Play quarterfinal against Madelene Sagstrom. The match was suspended because of darkness with the players tied through 17 holes.
That meant 45 holes in one day for the Frenchwoman, who will return Sunday morning to complete the match with Sagstrom.
“Yeah, it was a very long day,” Boutier said. “I feel kind of tired, but I feel like it was a good match again this afternoon, very tight and going back and forth with Madelene. So just got to keep pushing until tomorrow.”
Boutier's round-of-16 victory was the longest match in the five-year history of the event. The previous record was 22 holes, set twice. Buhai bogeyed the final hole, allowing Boutier to advance with a par.
Sagstrom also needed extended time, beating Carlota Ciganda in 19 holes. But Sagstrom had to wait more than two hours before teeing up again.
The winner will face Angel Yin in the semifinals. Yin is one of two Americans in the final four — Lauren Coughlin is the other — and at No. 12 is the highest-ranked player still in the field.
Yin took care of the second-ranked player, Jeeno Thitikul, winning 4 and 2 to beat a player who had steamrolled opponents this week. But Yin took the lead for good with a difficult downhill chip from just off the green for birdie on the par-13 13th hole.
“This golf course, anything can happen, and I was like, ‘OK, at least I’m 1-up now,’” said Yin, who is from Los Angeles. “I’ve been kind of 1-up in the beginning and then 1-down throughout the day, all square, 1-down again. Until 16, I chipped it to 2 feet, that’s when I was like, ‘OK, the match is over.’”
Coughlin, who lives in Charlottesville, Virginia, advanced to her semifinal by defeating Stephanie Kyriacou 1-up. Coughlin has played each at least 18 holes in every match.
“I’m definitely feeling it in my legs, and I think I was a little bit tired to start the first few holes,” Coughlin said. “Then the adrenaline started to take over there probably through about 8 or 9. I finally started to mentally feel like I was back in it.”
Her opponent will be Ariya Jutanugarn, who defeated Maja Stark 4 and 2. This came a day after Jutanugarn took down top-ranked and defending champion Nelly Korda 1-up.
Jutanugarn maintained an easy-going attitude during round-robin play, but acknowledged it was more difficult to keep that mindset the closer she got to a potential tournament title.
“So I just told myself as soon I got up to the tee, I just do my best every shot,” Jutanugarn said. “It’s hard. Today, sometimes it got in my head I want to win, get in the last four. I always came back to myself and say I have to do my best every shot.”
In other round-of-16 matches, Thitikul routed Nataliya Guseva 8 and 7, Yin beat Mao Saigo 3 and 2, Kyriacou edged A Lim Kim 2 and 1, Coughlin beat Sei Young Kim 2-up, Stark easily defeated Brooke Henderson 5 and 4, and Jutanugarn topped Narin An 1-up.
AP golf: https://apnews.com/hub/golf
Jeeno Thitikul, of Thailand, looks at her putter on 17th green after her shot during the final round of the Ford Championship LPGA golf event, Sunday, March 30, 2025, in Chandler, Ariz. (AP Photo/Matt York)
Celine Boutier, of France takes a drop on the 12th green during the second round of the Ford Championship LPGA golf event, Friday, March 28, 2025, in Phoenix. (AP Photo/Matt York)
CESKE BUDEJOVICE, Czech Republic (AP) — Canada launched its title defense at the women’s hockey world championships by cruising past Finland 5-0 on Thursday.
Jennifer Gardiner scored twice and added an assist, Ella Shelton had a goal and an assist while captain Marie-Philip Poulin and Emma Maltais also scored a goal apiece in the Group A game.
Canada goaltender Kristen Campbell made 24 saves for the shutout.
Seeking its 14th title, Gardiner opened the scoring 6:02 into the first period from the left circle and Canada kept steadily increasing its lead. It was already 4-0 up when Gardiner claimed her second 18 seconds into the second period from a tight angel, forcing Finland to pull goaltender Emilia Kyrkko.
“You couldn’t have told me this would happen in my wildest dreams,” said Gardiner about her tournament debut.
Still in the opening period, Shelton wristed a shot into the roof of the net and Poulin was fed by Gardiner with a pass from behind the goal to make it 3-0.
It was the second straight defeat for Finland, last year’s bronze medalist, after a 7-1 loss to the United States on Wednesday, a sign of the gap between the two favorites for the championships and the rest of the field.
Canada next plays Switzerland on Friday.
Earlier, Sweden fought hard to overcome newcomer Hungary 2-0 for a second win at the tournament.
Linnea Johansson broke the deadlock late in the middle period and had an assist for the second goal netted by Lina Ljungblom in the third period when the Hungarians outshot the Swedes 11-6.
Sweden goaltender Emma Soderberg stopped 24 shots.
Earlier, Japan beat another newly-promoted team, Norway, 5-2.
Mei Miura had a goal and an assist and Akane Hosoyamada, Rui Ukita, Riri Noro and Akane Shiga also scored for Japan in another Group B game.
Andrea Dalen and Marthe Brunvold had a goal each for Norway to mark its return to the top division after a 27-year absence.
The 12-day, 10-nation tournament in the southern Czech city of Ceske Budejovice represents the final major international tune-up before the 2026 Winter Olympics in Italy.
AP women’s hockey: https://apnews.com/hub/womens-hockey
Sweden players celebrate a win over Hungary in a Group B match at the women's ice hockey world championships, Thursday, April 10, 2025, in Ceske Budejovice, Czech Republic. (Lubos Pavlicek/CTK via AP)
Sweden's, from left, Hilda Svensson, Linnea Johansson and Lina Ljungblom celebrate a goal past Hungary's goalkeeper Anikó Németh during a Group B match at the women's ice hockey world championships, Thursday, April 10, 2025, in Ceske Budejovice, Czech Republic. (Lubos Pavlicek/CTK via AP)
Finland goalkeeper Emilia Kyrkkö and Canada's Natalie Spooner battle for the puck during a Group A match at the women's ice hockey world championships, Thursday, April 10, 2025, in Ceske Budejovice, Czech Republic. (Vaclav Pancer/CTK via AP)
Canada's Emily Clark (26) reacts after a her team scored their second goal against Finland during a Group A match at the women's ice hockey world championships, Thursday, April 10, 2025, in Ceske Budejovice, Czech Republic. (Vaclav Pancer/CTK via AP)
From left, Ida Haave of Norway, Kohane Sato of Japan, goalkeeper Miyuu Masuhara of Japan and Aoi Shiga of Japan in action during the ice hockey IIHF Women's World Championship Group B match Japan vs Norway, in Ceske Budejovice, Czech Republic, Thursday, April 10, 2025. (Vaclav Pancer/CTK via AP)
Andrea Dalen of Norway, center, celebrates her goal during the ice hockey IIHF Women's World Championship Group B match Japan vs Norway, in Ceske Budejovice, Czech Republic, Thursday, April 10, 2025. (Vaclav Pancer/CTK via AP)
From left, Japan's Kohane Sato, Akane Shiga, Rui Ukita and Aoi Shiga celebrate a goal during the ice hockey IIHF Women's World Championship Group B match Japan vs Norway, in Ceske Budejovice, Czech Republic, Thursday, April 10, 2025. (Vaclav Pancer/CTK via AP)
