Lauren Coughlin holed a 20-foot putt that went along with three birdies on the final stretch to cap the Women’s Scottish Open with a 66 (6 under par) and a one-stroke lead over Megan Khang at Dundonald Links on Saturday.
Coughlin won her first LPGA Tour title in Canada three weeks ago, putting herself in a good position to secure a spot on the US Solheim Cup team.
“I’m starting to hit the ball extremely well and I’m starting to feel really comfortable with my game and myself and I’m trying to keep it up,” Coughlin said.
Khang started with 11 straight pars, but three birdies late in her round earned her a 69 and allowed the American to close the gap to one shot.
Coughlin was at 12 under 204.
England’s Charley Hull narrowly missed a long eagle putt on the par-5 18th hole. Her birdie earned her a 69, which puts her three strokes behind the leader, along with Germany’s Esther Henseleit, who shot a 66.
Henseleit has two wins on the Ladies European Tour and has been gaining momentum since her silver medal at the Paris Olympics. On Saturday she was paired with gold medalist Lydia Ko, who was five strokes back with 71.
“I played really well,” Henseleit said. “I had a great first nine holes and then I kept it up on the second nine, and yeah, it was just a really solid day. Didn’t make a lot of mistakes. Kept it pretty easy and simple and made some putts.”
Henseleit was able to secure a share of the lead with an eagle on the par-5 14th hole. Coughlin made her 20-foot birdie putt on the 15th hole, while the German missed her birdie attempt from 10 feet. On the par-4 16th hole, Henseleit missed a 3-foot par putt and fell behind.
Hull started the Olympics with an 81, her first comeback from a shoulder injury, and played 8 under par the rest of the week at Le Golf National. It was too late for the podium, but she believed she was getting back into form before the two weeks in Scotland.
The Women’s British Open, the last major of the year, takes place next week in St. Andrews.
“Go out there, have fun and make birdies. And if I don’t make birdies, it’s not the end of the world,” Hull said.
The wind died down a bit, but the temperatures were so cold that some players wore mittens between shots.
Australian Minjee Lee was battling for the lead until she made an easy bogey on the par-3 15th hole. She responded by making a birdie on the 16th to move within two shots of the lead. But on the final hole, where Coughlin had made a birdie to reach 12 under par, Lee struggled onto the green in two shots and crashed into the narrow creek, making a bogey for 72 and trailing by four shots.
Coughlin has had a breakthrough season this year, not only with her win but also with her rise to No. 26 in the women’s world rankings after starting the season outside the top 100. Her sights have been set on the Solheim Cup. She is currently No. 4 in the overall rankings, but a win on Sunday in Scotland should secure her one of the automatic spots.
Coughlin was an All-American in Virginia. The matches will be held Sept. 13-15 at Robert Trent Jones Golf Club near Manassas, Virginia. This would be her first Solheim Cup team.
“I live an hour and 10 minutes away. It’s my home state, so I couldn’t be more excited,” Coughlin said.
Associated Press and Reuters contributed to this report.
