PELICAN WOMEN'S CHAMPIONSHIP

November 12, 2021

Lauren Coghlin

Pelican Golf Club

Quick Quotes

Q. Joined by Lauren Coughlin after a 2-under par 68 on day two of the Pelican Women's Championship. You told me not as many fireworks as day one - which you had seven birdies and an eagle yesterday - but a little more steady performance today. How good does it feel to be in this position after two solid days of golf?

LAUREN COUGHLIN: Yeah, I mean, I've been playing really, really well the past couple months, and I just really wanted just one more start.

And so I got -- I was just kind of prepping for the Monday and ended up playing really well, like I had been, and got in. Then just kind of kept it going.

Q. Did I see that you won an event last week or within the last couple weeks? Take us through what you were doing to prep.

LAUREN COUGHLIN: Yes. So this wind was No Laying Up's, their NIT, which they call the Nest Invitational Tournament. It's like their tournament for all their like members that they have, and so they invited me to play in it. My husband was there. It was like 90 of us playing in a tournament. They handicapped it and flighted it and stuff.

So it was me, Justin Huber, who is another person who they sponsor on the Korn Ferry Tour, and Andrew Alligood, who's a PGA Latin America guy they sponsor, and then like 80 some amateurs.

Q. So what were you handicapped at?

LAUREN COUGHLIN: They played me as a +3, but I was playing the same tees as Huber and Alligood, and Huber hits it like 350 and they were playing as like a +6.

Q. Goodness.

LAUREN COUGHLIN: So they wanted it to be hard but still like I could win.

But, yeah, it was blowing 30 miles per hour and raining and it was in Jacksonville and we were supposed to play 36 on Friday, then 18 in the morning on Saturday, and then 18 for a final Saturday afternoon. But end up we only played 18 on Friday because it was 30 and raining, blowing 30 miles per hour and raining.

Then we played nine holes Saturday and then a three-hole shootout. (Laughter.)

Q. That's awesome.

LAUREN COUGHLIN: So it was a blast. Didn't sleep a ton, but I really, really enjoy hanging out with the No Laying Up guys and all the people that I've met through them.

So it was just a nice recharge and fun golf, which I don't get to do very often. So, yeah.

Q. How did that partnership come about?

LAUREN COUGHLIN: I DM'd Tron on Twitter. So started beginning of 2019 they tweeted out that they were going to do like five guys on Korn Ferry, and Tron had tweeted they were thinking about doing someone on Symetra or LPGA, and so my husband was like, You got to do it. You got to do it.

So I message him in like March of 2019 just, you know, telling him who I was and stuff. And literally, like I have the DM. He finally messaged me back like September, six months later, and just was like, Just going to circle back.

Like he never replied, but finally he messaged me back and was like, Let's do it full send next year.

So I then went and met him and DJ at a random coffee shop in Jacksonville after the Symetra Tour Championship because I was going to be driving up through JAX going back home. Yeah, the rest is history.

Q. Wow. I guess it was worth the wait.

LAUREN COUGHLIN: It was, yeah, for sure. But it was great. DJ has caddied for me in a Symetra Tour event last year when Caddie John couldn't come, couldn't be there, and I finished third at the Symetra Tour event that year.

No, it's great. I really, really love hanging out with them. They're the best.

Q. So this is a big week for you in the big picture scheme of things. How are you able to compartmentalize that or is that helping in a motivating sort of way?

LAUREN COUGHLIN: My husband has said it the best. I had nothing to lose. Like no matter what happened, if I didn't play well, cool, I'm going to Q-Series. Like worst case I'm still going back to Q Series. There wasn't really anything to lose.

Again, being I'm just really happy to be playing and just trying to take advantage of it as much as I can.

Q. What is working so well you think that was from the Nest?

LAUREN COUGHLIN: Well, it's not really from that. I mean, KPMG I kind of hit rock bottom with putting. Just since then I've just been talking to a lot of people about it. I've talked with Saly (phonetic) about it a lot. I've talked with Neil, my husband, my coach, Caddie, John. I played golf about three weeks ago with Bob Rotella, and I think right about that time something just really clicked and I've been putting extremely well since then.

So, again, I was just really hoping for the opportunity, and see if I can get it done.

Q. Was it something Bob said?

LAUREN COUGHLIN: Something Bob said, but also my husband had me do a three-club challenge against him. He could use a full set and I only had three clubs, and I was putting with a 7-iron and I putted unbelievable. I think that just kind of like -- that on top of talking with Bob about some stuff just really finally clicked, I think.

Yeah, ever since then it's just been really good.

Q. Where was that?

LAUREN COUGHLIN: So I live in Charlottesville, Virginia where UVA is and Bob lives in Charlottesville, as well.

Q. Where was the three-club challenge?

LAUREN COUGHLIN: We played it at our home course; it's called green hills in Stanardsville, Virginia, just about 25 minutes north of Charlottesville.

Q. Had you ever done that before?

LAUREN COUGHLIN: No, not really. Well, I've done a one-club challenge and maybe in college did a four-club challenge, but I brought a putter. This was the first time I was like, no, I'm not going to do a putter. I'm going to do something else.

Like I said, I just putted really, really well. Just I think just finally just something clicked.

Q. What were the other two clubs?

LAUREN COUGHLIN: Driver and 56-degree. Ended up shooting 3-over with a double on the first hole.

Q. Amazing. So what did Bob say?

LAUREN COUGHLIN: A lot of it was -- I mean, I don't know if you to -- he was on No Laying Up's Podcast. So I listened to that, and then talking with him, a lot of it was trying to be an athlete. People say that all the time, but it finally just clicked. Just letting my subconscious take over and not think so much about my stroke, am I technically right, whatever.

Basically all I'm thinking about is speed and just kind of feeling it in there. Just finally rolling really good. I'm not really so -- I'm not so worried about like did I do something for the ball to not go in the hole. I think he finally told me it's like you shouldn't think -- I always would automatically go to something I did.

So I would be like, did I pull it? Did I push it? Did I hit it too hard? Did I read it right. Finally just settled into that like it's not me. I think that's kind of what's freed me up a little bit.

Q. You had to Monday qualify to get in here.

LAUREN COUGHLIN: Uh-huh.

Q. How much did the handicap system and the NIT give you some confidence to come here and just lay it all on the line?

LAUREN COUGHLIN: It was more kind of -- I mean, there wasn't a real tournament per se, but it did count. We were hitting cups. So it was more that it helped -- I saw the ball go in a lot, and so it kind of reinforced what I had been doing the past couple weeks was working.

So kind of just was giving my a little bit of a warmup for the Monday, actually having to try. Because you can do stuff at home and it can be working a home, but for it to translate into tournaments is the hard part.

So seeing the ball go in the hole and knowing what I was doing was working definitely helped a lot.

Q. That was at TPC Tampa Bay.

LAUREN COUGHLIN: The Monday was, yes.

Q. Much different than here.

LAUREN COUGHLIN: Yes, a lot different than here.

Q. How were you able to play well there and here?

LAUREN COUGHLIN: I think I'm an extremely good ball-striker, which you have to be out here. The greens are -- there is not really any course I don't think that I can't play well at, because no matter what I can hit it really, really well.

So the big thing was just trying to get used to the greens. The greens were really slow and not in the best shape over there. Couple were just not great.

It was more I was really trying to get dialed in on the speed. Only played nine holes on Tuesday; didn't see the back at all. And I didn't even play -- to be honest, I didn't play a practice round on Sunday either.

I just went and got used to the greens, and my caddie went out and coursed it. I was like, Just tell me where to go, where to hit it, and I'll hit it.

Q. Wow. That worked out.

LAUREN COUGHLIN: Yeah.

Q. Nice. Two more quick questions. What does your husband do? What kind of player is he?

LAUREN COUGHLIN: So my husband, he played football at Virginia. He was an offensive lineman, so he hits it very far when he hits it. He's about a 10 handicap right now, but he's actually not like a normal 10 handicap.

He putts and chips really well. It's more he struggles hitting the ball. When he starts hitting it good, he starts playing good, but he can be all over the place.

But he fundraises for the University of Virginia, which is kind of why we're still in Charlottesville.

Q. He probably plays golf for that, too.

LAUREN COUGHLIN: Yes.

Q. How important or significant has the No Laying Up sponsorship been in terms of financially? What has it meant to you personally?

LAUREN COUGHLIN: Yeah, I mean, financially a lot of what they've been able to help me is getting my name out there on social media. But really it's just like their knowledge in terms of golf, and like I said, the exposure has been the biggest thing.

But it's just really great getting to play golf with them because they just love golf. Hanging around them and talking golf with them really just recharges my batteries a lot. Golf can be really difficult mentally, more than anything, and it can really beat you down.

When I hang out with them I always come back loving golf a lot more than I did.

Q. Oh, cool. Is there a financial component?

LAUREN COUGHLIN: A little bit, yeah, but that's not like the --

Q. It's the exposure could lead to more financial opportunities.

LAUREN COUGHLIN: Yes, exactly. My social media has quadrupled, like my followers on Instagram and Twitter has quadrupled since -- I've been on like Tourist Sauce and stuff with them.

Q. Yeah, cool.

LAUREN COUGHLIN: Yeah. So a lot has been more the exposure. I've been on a couple of their -- like not the main Podcast, but I've been on the one that they have behind the pay wall, yeah.