Lauren Coughlin gets first LPGA win CPKC Women’s Open in 101st start

Coughlin, a late bloomer who nearly quit professional golf not long after she started, picked a fine time to have a breakout year. With the Solheim Cup only an hour from her Virginia home, she’s now a lock to make the team. An exceptional ball-striker who found something in her putting earlier this spring with a new weapon, Coughlin notched two birdies in her last four holes to defeat last year’s Louise Suggs Rookie of the Year, Haeran Ryu, who was leaking oil throughout the back nine, and hold off a charging Mao Saigo.

Coughlin, who hired Annika Sorenstam’s longtime caddie earlier this year, hung tough down the stretch to secure a two-stroke victory over Japan’s Saigo, who barely made the cut and then shot 61-69 over the weekend to take solo second. Coughlin led the field in greens in regulation, winning the Audi Precision Award and a $25,000 bonus.

“I think just my story in general just shows that I’m always trying, always willing to try to do things,” said Coughlin. “I am willing to stay in it. I don’t give up. I think I showed that perfectly today.”