This story was originally published by Dead Spin
Lauren Coughlin made clutch swings down the stretch and won her first LPGA title in her 103rd career start, capturing the CPKC Women’s Open on Sunday in Calgary.
Coughlin made two crucial birdies in the final four holes at Earl Grey Golf Club, holing one at the par-5 15th before playing the par-3 17th to perfection to shoot a 1-under-par 71 for her final round and a 13-under 275 for the week.
She prevailed by two strokes over Japan’s Mao Saigo and by three over South Korea’s Haeran Ryu, not long after the trio shared the lead with a few holes to go.
“I think I’ve had people believe in me for a really long time,” said Coughlin, 31. “I wouldn’t be here without their push and their love. … It’s kind of indescribable, to be honest. I never really thought it would happen, but it did.”
Coughlin and Ryu were tied at 12 under at the 17th tee after Saigo bogeyed that hole in the group in front of them.
At the hockey-themed “rink hole,” a Canadian tradition featuring boisterous fans, Coughlin hit her tee shot to the front-left portion of the green. It rolled over a slope and stopped pin-high at the back hole location, leaving her a makeable birdie she was able to convert.
“It was kind of a tweener of a club,” Coughlin said. “I could really only hit 6 (iron) and I needed to take some off of it, or else it might have gone over (the green), especially considering how jacked up I was at the time. But, I mean, I hit it pretty much perfect. The putt, I thought it was almost gonna stay out to the left there, it just dove right at the last second.
Ryu, meanwhile, carded a 4 at the hole, part of a bogey-bogey-bogey finish that dropped the 54-hole leader into a tie for third with South Korea’s Jenny Shin (67).
Ryu held a three-shot lead entering the 11th hole, but she made double bogey there and went on to post a 75.
Saigo made a run with five birdies on her card, including consecutive birdies at Nos. 9-10 and 14-15, but she had to settle for a 69 and sole possession of second.
The day instead belonged to Coughlin, who was 1 over on the day through 14 holes but kept relying on pars to stay in contention.
“I felt like I hung in there all day today,” said Coughlin, who led after the first and second rounds. “I didn’t really make anything. Just played super patient and stuck with it and they eventually went in.”
Jennifer Kupcho finished alone in fifth at 8 under following a final-round 71. Rose Zhang was in the mix but settled for a 73 and a tie for sixth at 7 under with Russia’s Nataliya Guseva (69).
–Field Level Media
