Lauren Coughlin Claws Back to Contention, Ready to Strike Sunday | LPGA

On Thursday, Lauren Coughlin exited the Lower Course at Baltsurol Golf Club, posting a 4-over 75 with double bogey on her card. Not the way you want to start a big match.

But early mistakes didn’t faze Coughlin. A bogey-free 4-under 67 on Friday wiped the slate clean and pulled even in the tournament. She followed that up with a 68 on Saturday, and now, Coughlin is in contention for the KPMG Women’s PGA Championship, sitting sixth at 3-under.

„I think the most important thing is taking my medication,” Coleen said of her breakthrough. „If I missed it off the tee, I took my medicine and made sure I got it in a spot where I could get up and down or give me at least a 5-, 6-foot par. I did all of that yesterday and I missed one today. That’s the big thing: I made that par. I made 5-, 6-footers, which you have to do to keep moving around, and that can be the big difference.

Beyond the game, Coughlin’s key was keeping her nerves in check. Before Friday’s round, he wrote three things in his yard book: „Be you, breathe and slow is fast.” She let those three mantras guide her strategy, and whenever she felt her nerves fray, she reminded herself of one more thing: Lauren Coughlin is great at golf.

„I said to myself, you’re very good at golf,” Coughlin told the media on Saturday. „I think I forget that sometimes. If I get any nerves or something, I’ve told myself again yesterday and today.

Coughlin is no stranger to stepping back from the brink, having jeopardized her LPGA Tour status more than a few times in past seasons. The 30-year-old first joined the LPGA Tour in 2018 after finishing T7 at the 2017 LPGA Q-Series, but was forced to return to tough qualifying in 2018 and 2019, where she was unable to maintain her tour status.

A mediocre performance in 2021 put Coughlin back on the brink, just a hair away from losing his card and returning to the Q-Series for a fourth straight (the tournament was not held in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic). Fortunately, the American turned everything around at the last second. Monday-Monday-Monday-Monday-Monday-Monday-Monday-Monday-Monday-Monday-Monday-Monday-Monday-Monday-Monday-Monday-Monday-Monday-Monday-Monday-Monday-Monday-Monday-Monday-Monday-Monday-Monday-Monday-Monday-Monday-Monday-Monday-Monday-Monday-Monday-Monday-Monday-Monday-Monday-Monday-Monday-Monday-Monday-Monday-Monday-Monday-Monday-Monday-Monday-Monday-Monday-Monday-Monday-Monday-Monday-Monday-Monday-Monday-Monday-Monday-Monday-Monday-Monday-Monday-Monday-Monday-Monday-Monday-Monday-Monday-Monday-Monday-Monday-Monday-Monday-Monday-Monday-Monday-Monday

Since then, Coughlin has steadily climbed the CME rankings. She tied for 78th last year, buoyed by a perfect T8 at the LPGA MEDIHEAL Championship. With three top 25 finishes in 2023, Coughlin is currently 69th in the race for the CME Globe. Four shots back going into the final round, Coughlin hopes her performance this week will lead to her best career finish on the LPGA Tour and her best finish at a major championship.

„It’s very exciting,” said the Epson Tour winner. “It’s crazy to think about it. Even though I’m at this point this year compared to last year, it’s kind of crazy how far I’ve come. I am excited. I have worked very hard. Even if he doesn’t show sometimes, he is happy to show this week.”

But what Coughlin really wants is his first win on the LPGA Tour. While she’s excited for what the final 18 holes will bring — and it shows in her contagious smile — she said the most important thing on such a tough golf course is to slow down.

„A win would be fantastic regardless, but if I could do it on a bigger scale, it would be even more,” said Collin. „I’m going to try to be very patient and try to be very excited and excited for the round tomorrow. It’s very exciting to be in the position I’m in, so my big thing will be to try not to get too excited.

No matter where she lands on the leaderboard on Sunday, it will be a huge accomplishment for Coughlin and a huge boost for the second half of the season. Most importantly, it will serve as a reminder to herself and everyone watching that Lauren Coughlin is a very talented golfer.