Lauren Coughlin proved to be unstoppable force at Shadow Creek Golf Club in Las Vegas as the 33-year American won the Aramco Championship by five strokes.
Already a two-time winner on the LPGA Tour, Coughlin went wire-to-wire in Nevada after being a co-leader after the first round and solo leader at 36 and 54-hole marks.
She began the final round with a two-shot lead and started strongly with a birdie at the first and another on the eighth. Bogeys on 10 and 12 failed to make a dent in the lead as other contenders fell away over the challenging back nine of the Shadow Creek layout.
Another bogey on 17 was quickly followed by a birdie on the last hole to seal her third LPGA title and her second victory on the Ladies European Tour following her triumph at the Women’s Scottish Open in 2024.
“I just know I played really great all week,” said the 33-year-old from Minneapolis who picked up $600,000 for the win. “I had a lot of fun. I’m just happy. Going toe to toe with Nelly [Korda], No.2 ranked player in the world in the same group, playing in the final group on a Sunday, is extremely cool and will hopefully give me a lot of confidence going into the rest of the year.”
Ireland’s Leona Maguire and American Nelly Korda ended the week in a share of second place on two-under-par. Maguire concluded her week with a one-under-par 71, which included five birdies, to record her best finish of the year, while Korda, who played alongside Coughlin, couldn’t mount a challenge on the final day, and slumped to a three-over 75.
“I just didn’t play good golf today,” said Korda. “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 if you’re on the wrong side of the green.”
Shadow Creek proved to be tough challenge this week, with only four players managing to finish the tournament under par. Japan’s Miyu Yamashita was fourth on one-under-par with compatriot Akie Iwai and Australia’s Karis Davidson one shot further back at level.
Charley Hull, winner of the first PIF Global Series event in Saudi in February, finished top of the English contingent with a final round 70 seeing her finish in a tie for 15th, while Hampshire’s Lottie Woad finished tied 41st on 11 over par.
The next PIF Global Series event is being held at Centurion Club in Hertfordshire, from August 6-9. For tickets, visit www.pifglobalseries.com/en-us/pif-london-championship
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