Lauren Coughlin conquers Shadow Creek, wins LPGA Aramco Championship

Lauren Coughlin felt like she figured out her irons two weeks ago and dialed in her driver at last week’s LPGA event.

She put it all together at Shadow Creek.

“I kind of had everything going this week,” Coughlin said.

Coughlin remained steady in conditions that rivaled a major championship and went wire-to-wire to win the Aramco Championship on Sunday.

The 33-year-old from Charlottesville, Virginia, carded an even-par 72 in the final round to finish at 7 under and win by five shots over Nelly Korda and Leona Maguire.

It is the third career victory for Coughlin and first since the 2024 Women’s Scottish Open. The title was extra sweet after she finished runner-up at last year’s LPGA T-Mobile Match Play event that also was held at Shadow Creek.

“It left a sour taste in my mouth. Second is a good consolation, but winning is really fun,” Coughlin said. “I am just extremely happy to have gotten it done today.”

Coughlin changed the shafts and lie angle on her irons this season and also started working with a new caddie. She felt like she was hitting the ball well last week at the Ford Championship in Phoenix despite finishing tied for 65th.

A return this week to the putter she used most of the past two years was the missing piece. Coughlin led the field in birdies with 18 over the four rounds.

“I think as soon as I started making some putts early on Thursday I was like, ‘Oh,’” Coughlin said. “I was feeling really good. I putted really well here last year, too. I don’t know if it’s just I just see the greens really well.”

Coughlin was the co-leader after the first round and held the outright lead the rest of the way. She entered Sunday with a two-shot lead over Korda, and Coughlin’s advantage swelled to six following a two-shot swing on No. 8.

Coughlin rolled in a 45-foot birdie putt to move to 9 under, and Korda’s par putt from 2 feet lipped out. On the difficult back nine, Coughlin made three bogeys but avoided any big mistakes and closed with a birdie on the par-5 18th hole after stuffing a wedge close.

Coughlin is projected to move up to No. 12 in the world rankings and has plenty of momentum with the season’s first major at The Chevron Championship in Houston two weeks away.

“I didn’t get it done earlier in the year last year when I had a couple chances and that really bothered me,” Coughlin said. “I was like, ‘What if I don’t ever get to do it again? What if that’s the best golf I ever played in 2024?’ Those thoughts were hard not to think last year.

“I think it definitely means more just because you never know if you’re going to get the chance again. I was lucky enough to get it done.”

Korda finished second for the third consecutive week, and stumbled to a 75. She struggled off the tee, hitting six of 14 fairways, and didn’t make a birdie until her final hole.

“I just didn’t play good golf today,” Korda said. “I was hitting it pretty poorly off the tee and just finding myself in really tough positions going into the greens, and then hitting it in places where I shouldn’t be around the greens.

“This golf course is brutal, especially if you’re on the wrong side of the green.”

Korda managed to get within four shots through 12 after Coughlin started the back nine with bogeys on two of her first three holes to fall to 7 under. But bogeys on Nos. 13 and 15 prevented Korda from making a charge.

Maguire shot 71 to record her best finish since the 2024 T-Mobile Match Play when she finished runner-up to Korda.

“I felt a lot more comfortable than I thought I would. Still working on plenty of stuff on my swing, but it was nice to see that hold up on this golf course,” Maguire said. “Feel like I’m leaving here with my swing and sanity intact, which is always a good thing.”