Lauren Coughlin achieved her first victory on the LPGA Tour this Sunday. She won the CPKC Women’s Open at the Earl Grey Golf Club course, Canada. She is 31 years old and her journey has not been exactly easy or fast. On the contrary, she has encountered all kinds of obstacles that she has had to overcome. She has reached glory step by step, spoonful by spoonful. It tastes better that way.
Her career began straddling the Epson Tour and the LPGA. Her first professional year was 2017. She played in the second division, a total of 13 tournaments and finished in 92nd place in the ranking, just above the Spanish Marta Sanz. That season, among the top four in the Epson finished golfers like Hannah Green, Celine Boutier or Nanna Madsen. Almost nothing. After that first year she had doubts about continuing with golf or leaving it. She was not sure if her level was enough to reach the top level. She considered it, but decided to keep trying.
From there, she has been improving little by little each year. In 2018 she played the LPGA through the School. It did not go well for her. She only passed four cuts, but at least she experienced the first division and it gave her strength to continue. In 2019 she finally had a solid season. She focused on the Epson and signed seven top 15s. In addition, she improved her category through the School and in 2020 she focused again on the LPGA. She played well the first two tournaments and that allowed her conditional card to become definitive. A relief. The Epson was over and the Monday preliminaries were over.
In 2021 she suffered, but kept the LPGA card with a good final tournament in Florida. She finished in 16th place and ended up 97th in the Race to CME Globe. The top 100 keep. By the skin of her teeth. In 2022 she finished 78th and last year she was 66th. Step by step. Step by step. Spoonful by spoonful.
The year 2024 has been the one of her consecration and a large part of the blame lies with the Chevron Championship, the first Major of the year. Coughlin finished third and left Houston convinced: “I can do it”. And so much. Her season was being very solid, to the point of being sixth in the classification for the Solheim Cup. Now, another step comes. The first victory in the LPGA and a significant blow to be in the Solheim. There are only three tournaments left to close the qualification process. It cannot be said that she has it done, but she has certainly placed herself at the gates. It seems difficult that she will not be in Virginia in September, precisely where she studied.
Coughlin (-13) won with a final round of 71 strokes, taking advantage of the debacle of the leader after the third day, the Korean Haeran Ryu (-10), 75 strokes. A birdie on the 17th was decisive to go out to the 18th with a two-stroke advantage. With a final par, she pocketed the first triumph and completely turned her life around. Now yes, Lauren has placed herself in another dimension.
