Virginia graduate Lauren Coughlin secured victory at the Scottish Open on Sunday with a 69 (3 under par) to finish at 15 under par, four strokes better than the runner-up. The win is Coughlin’s second on the LPGA Tour this summer, following her victory at the CPKC Women’s Open in July. Coughlin’s performance also earned her a spot on Team USA in the Solheim Cup, the women’s equivalent of the Ryder Cup, which pits the best female golfers from the United States and Europe against each other in a team format.
The 31-year-old went into the final day of competition with a one-shot lead. Coughlin began the day with a miss, making bogeys on the third and fourth holes before recovering with two birdies on the fifth and seventh. Coughlin then kept her composure and made three birdies on the final five holes to secure the title at 15 under par. German golfer and Olympic silver medalist Esther Henseleit was close behind for most of the day but could not keep up with Coughlin, finishing second at -11.
Coughlin was born in Minnesota but grew up in Chesapeake, Virginia. At Hickory High School in Chesapeake, Coughlin was the first woman to play on the men’s golf team for four years. Coughlin’s high school career culminated in a runner-up finish at the Virginia State Golf Association girls championships in 2009 and 2010. After that, Coughlin also won the Virginia Women’s Amateur in 2012 and 2013. The Virginia native then played at the University of Virginia from 2011 to 2016. She won an individual ACC championship in 2016 and earned All-American honors. The ACC Championships win propelled her to No. 31 in the World Amateur Golf Rankings.
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Coughlin began her professional career in 2016 on the Symetra Tour before earning her first professional win at the 2018 PHC Classic. The win earned her a spot at the 2018 Evian Championships, her first major. She then finished seventh at the LGPA Final Qualifying Tournament, which allowed her to join the LGPA Tour.
On tour, Coughlin earned her first victory at the 2024 CPKC Women’s Open and less than a month later, she won her second LPGA Tour title.
Coughlin is married to former University of Virginia football player John Pond, who recently quit his job to caddy for his wife on the LPGA Tour.
