Lauren Coughlin has husband as caddie, leads early

THE WOODLANDS, Texas — John Pond had just quit his job in fundraising at the University of Virginia to come travel with his wife, Lauren Coughlin, full-time on the LPGA when a new opportunity presented itself. Coughlin split with her longtime caddie after the spring Asian swing, and Pond begged her to give him the job.

Coughlin said she’d give him three weeks.

“I’ll know after three weeks if we can do it,” said Coughlin. “When I say we, I mean me.”

The Chevron Championship marks their fourth week together, and Coughlin holds the clubhouse lead at the year’s first major after an opening 6-under 66. She tied for eighth in their first week together and took a share of 32nd the following week in Las Vegas. Last week, the couple attended the Masters together for the first time.

Coughlin and Pond first met at a football Christmas party at the University of Virginia where they lived in the same dorm. Pond, a “mediocre center” on the football team, said his roommate at the time took her on one date, and they later bonded over the fact that she had a car.

“At UVA, you can’t have a car first year and the big boys need to eat,” said Pond with a smile. “So I took full advantage of that, and then that turned into a relationship.”

Chevron: Photos

He proposed at the 2016 ACC Championship after the Cavaliers won the team title, and Coughlin captured her first individual win. Coughlin’s coach gave the mic to Pond during the trophy presentation, and he got down on one knee to pop the question.

For most of their married life, they’ve gone weeks at a time without seeing each other. Pond said they’re probably still in the honeymoon phase even though they’ve been married for six years.

Pond’s decision to leave his job to start taking on a more managerial role – now as caddie – means that they’re going all in on Coughlin’s career.

“I don’t think we’re oblivious to the fact that she’s 31 years old,” said Pond. “Everybody that’s been around her and been with her knows what she’s capable of. I think it would be selfish of me not to give her every opportunity.

Of course, that means that the family’s financial success for now, at least, rests on Coughlin, who has made $126,980 this season inside the ropes before expenses. Pond tells his wife all the time that whether she wins 10 times or never at all or barely keeps her card, his greatest desire is that she leaves the tour with no regrets.

“If you don’t…