Just three weeks ago, Lauren Coughlin (-14), a 31-year-old player, didn’t know what it was like to win on the LPGA, she only had one victory on the Epson Tour and she had achieved it seven years ago. Well, twenty-two days after her debut in Canada, the American repeats victory and takes the ISPS Handa Women’s Scottish Open. Of course, it is the most important victory of her career so far.
She has done it with authority. She started tied for the lead with a Megan Khang (-9) who was not even able to play under par. Lauren with a more than sufficient card of 69 strokes has prevailed at Dundonald Golf Links by four strokes distance to the German Esther Henseleit, who by the way adds her second consecutive second place after the Olympic silver seven days ago.
The American has won with great authority, despite starting with two bogeys (holes 2 and 4), she never saw her victory in danger. Two birdies on the 5th and 7th gave her back her calm and she sealed the victory with two more hits on the 14th and 15th. The six-meter birdie putt on the final hole was a gift she gave herself to make clear who was the owner and lady of the tournament. With this victory, she will enter the top 20 in the world for the first time in her career and will pocket $360,000 in her bank account.
Two strokes behind the German Henseleit finished the Evian champion, Ayake Furue (-9) and the aforementioned Megan Khang. Gabriela Ruffels (-7), Jin Young Ko (-7), Charley Hull (-7), Sarah Schmelzel (-6), Lydia Ko (-6) and Minjee Lee (-4) have closed a top ten of great prestige.
Just six months ago, Lauren Coughlin was not a golfer who attracted media attention. She barely had three top tens in more than eighty appearances on the American circuit and had missed the cut in eight of the ten Majors she had played. This year everything has changed. Third place in the Chevron, fourth in the Evian and three other top tens in the year, the victory in Canada twenty-two days ago and today’s. Between victories she ‘only’ managed to finish ninth in Portland. No big deal.
Of course, she is one of the players in the best form for next month’s Solheim Cup, in which she has a more than assured place and which is held in Virginia, where she studied.
In the same Solheim key, Esther Henseleit no longer needs anyone to invite her. She has earned it on her own. She was the first reserve both by the Solheim points list and by world ranking. Now she would be in by either of the two. This means that Linn Grant becomes the choice by world ranking category and Georgia Hall has to be chosen by Suzann Pettersen. It doesn’t seem that the Englishwoman’s place on the team is in danger anyway and that Hall still has the opportunity next week at the AIG Women’s Open to reclaim her throne. It’s the last tournament valid for the Solheim.
Coughlin and Henseleit’s is the story of two phenomena that bring a very attractive touch to the Solheim. As we have been analysing, both teams will maintain very similar structures and it is interesting that two of the ones in the best form not only did not play last year but are going to debut in the competition.
The best Spanish in Scotland was Nuria Iturrioz who, despite not having played under par this Sunday, finishes the tournament in a more than notable eleventh place. The top ten was within birdie range. Marta Martín (+4) has handed in a final card of 72 strokes to finish in 32nd place and Ana Peláez (+7) has finally finished 48th.
