By: Max Bechtoldt
Just a couple of weeks ago, Lauren Coughlin walked off the course disappointed in a heart-breaking loss at the Evian Championship. Looking steadily in control through that final round, her putter let her down on 16 and 17, resulting in bogeys and a four-stroke defeat to champion Ayaka Furue.
Well, a lot can change in a couple weeks, as this time Coughlin rallied to secure her first win in her LPGA Tour career by two strokes over Mao Saigo.
This is the second season in a row a prominent American has won their first career event at the CPKC Canadian Open, a win that was predicted here last week.
The win shouldn’t come as a surprise, Coughlin has been knocking on the door for most of the season. This was her fifth top-10 finish on the season, with two of those coming in major championships. Her success has vaulted her up standings. She is top five in both the CME Standings and the United States Solheim Cup Team standings, and has risen from No. 109 in the world to her current placement at No. 27.
Coughlin shot -1 for the final round, which was consistent to how the course played throughout much of the week. Extremely difficult. Saturday’s round surrendered low scores in a bit of a relief for players. Coughlin made three birdies and two bogeys, mostly playing clean. She struggled with her putter, but recovered when she needed to.
2023 LPGA Tour Rookie of the Year Haeran Ryu controlled most of the final round, but found the water on hole 11, which resulted in a double bogey, and bogeyed the final three holes to lose by three in a tie for third.
Coughlin, a self-proclaimed late bloomer on Tour, is 31-years-old, and almost quit a few years ago. Coming into 2024, she had just three career top-10 finishes, so this win truly feels like the start of something for Coughlin.
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