Lauren Coughlin won the CPKC Women’s Open to clinch her first LPGA Tour title, pulling away from Haeran Ryu with a two-stroke swing on the par-three 17th.
Tied for the lead after Ryu three-putted for bogey on the par-four 16th, Coughlin hit a six-iron to eight feet and birdied the 195-yard 17th. Ryu then missed a three-foot par try to fall two shots back.
“It was kind of a ‘tweener of a club,” Coughlin said. “I could really only hit six and I needed to take some off it or else it might have gone over, especially considering how jacked up I was at the time.
“But I hit it pretty perfect and, the putt, I thought it was almost going to stay out to the left there and just dove right at the last second. It was huge.”
She finished at 13-under 275, closing with a one-under 71 for a two-stroke victory over Mao Saigo in mostly calm conditions at Earl Grey Golf Club, with smoke from wildfires again leaving a haze over the course.
Saigo shot 69 a day after breaking the tournament record with a 61 on the tree-lined course with thick rough and small greens.
“Being in contention this week was great experience for me,” said Japan’s Saigo, 22, who is an LPGA Tour rookie after winning six times on the JLPGA.
Ryu also bogeyed the 18th in a 75 that left her tied for third with Jenny Shin (67) at 10 under.
“I can only remember my mistakes from the last couple holes, but there is always next time,” Ryu said.
Jennifer Kupcho was fifth at eight under after a 71.
Coughlin, the leader after each of the first two rounds, began the day a shot behind Ryu. Coughlin birdied the par-three fifth, bogeyed the par-four sixth and 10th and birdied the par-five 15th.
The 31-year-old former University of Virginia player was coming off a fourth-place finish two weeks ago in France in the Evian Championship.
“I think just my story in general just shows that I’m always trying, always willing to try to do things,” Coughlin said. “I am willing to stay in it. I don’t give up. I think I showed that perfectly today.”
Coughlin is in position to play for the United States in her home-state Solheim Cup in September at the Robert Trent Jones Golf Club. She won on her 103rd LPGA Tour start.
“I don’t even really know how to describe it,” she added. “I’ve had people believe in me for a really long time, and I wouldn’t be here without their push and love.”
Ryu had her second straight top-three finish. The 23-year-old South Korean was second last week in Ohio in the Dana Open. She won the Walmart NW Arkansas Championship last year for her first Tour title.
“I’ll do my best next,” Ryu said.
Canadian star Brooke Henderson, the 2018 winner, finished with a 68 to tie for eighth at six under. On Friday, she bogeyed the final four holes in a 73 that left her seven shots back going into the weekend.
“I feel like I’m right there,” Henderson said. “Great days like yesterday and today, total minus-seven, so if I cleaned up the first two days a little bit, I could have been right in the mix.”
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