SHOPRITE LPGA CLASSIC PRESENTED BY ACER

June 11, 2022

Lauren Coughlin

Seaview, A Dolce Hotel

Quick Quotes

Q. Here with Lauren Coughlin coming off her second round at the ShopRite LPGA Classic presented by Acer. 8-under, on top of the leaderboard. I just got to ask, how does it feel walking and seeing your name up there at the top?

LAUREN COUGHLIN: Yeah, I was trying not to look as best I could. You know, kind of tend to get a little anxious when I look and see I'm doing well, so I was trying my best not to look.

Now it feels really good. Yeah, I just kind of felt like it was starting to all come together, and I felt yesterday I played really well and was just like this close.

Today it finally just all clicked and the putts started going in. Yeah, just it was really good.

Q. Looking at your stat card I saw you hit every fairway in regulation. Are they too wide for you? What is it?

LAUREN COUGHLIN: No, my driver is definitely probably like my best skill that I have, and definitely my weapon that I have. Just been feeling really good with it all week.

Yeah, no, just been feeling really good and I've been crushing it, too. It was nice to not be in the rough, especially with how firm the greens were getting yesterday, too.

Q. I saw you just finished tied for second at the Colorado Open before this week. Is riding that momentum really helping you out here?

LAUREN COUGHLIN: Definitely. There was definitely -- I mean, I really wanted to win. $100,000 is a lot of money, but I also would've liked to have been at Pine Needles, one of my favorite places, Pinehurst.

There were definitely some things that happened last week. I feel like I figured some things out with my putting, and I definitely felt like I could ride it into this week. My ball striking, I just kind of need to keep playing.

Yeah, that's what I was kind of doing. Yeah, just kept the momentum into this week.

Q. You mentioned the driver. This course, it's kind of weird. It's short. How much does the driver come into play for you on this course basically?

LAUREN COUGHLIN: Yeah, there is definitely probably not as much as I would like, again, because it is the best club in my bag.

I've still hit it a decent amount of times. I think there are about four holes I can't hit it. Other than that, I can just kind of bomb away.

Q. Right. You mentioned it feels good now to be on the leaderboard. Who knows what's going to happen this afternoon, but you'll be somewhere up there.

LAUREN COUGHLIN: Yep.

Q. How do you think you'll feel teeing off tomorrow for the final round probably within, if not the lead, a shot or two away?

LAUREN COUGHLIN: Yeah, I hope I'm still in the lead, but we'll see. The golf course, you can make birdies out there for sure.

But I don't know. I'm just really excited that I played well, and so I'm just going to try to keep riding that into tomorrow.

Q. Was there anything, a hole or a shot today, that sort of got you going or maybe said, hey, today is going to be a good day for me?

LAUREN COUGHLIN: Yeah, I chipped in on the second hole. I think it was the only green I missed all day and I chipped in for birdie on my second hole, 11, of the day. That kind of kept it going.

I made about an eight-footer for par on 4. Yeah, on hole 4. That kind of kept everything going, and I didn't drop a shot, which bogey-free is always really good.

That kind of kept me going. I birdied the next hole, kind of stalled out there for a little bit, and that kind of got a little bit of the juice going again and kind of kept it going the rest of the few holes.

Q. How far was the chip on 11 about?

LAUREN COUGHLIN: 15 yards. I was just on the front of the green, yeah.

Q. Any plans for tonight? Relaxing?

LAUREN COUGHLIN: Yeah, actually going to the Phillies game with my husband.

Q. Really? 4:00 start. You got to get out of here. Last question. (Laughter.)

LAUREN COUGHLIN: Yeah, so a couple of our really good friends live in Philly and they got us tickets, so we're going to go meet them for the game.

Q. Zack Wheeler.

LAUREN COUGHLIN: Yeah, he came out and watched yesterday.

Q. Are you a Phillies fan?

LAUREN COUGHLIN: No, just my husband enjoys baseball, so I enjoy going and watching and seeing different stadiums and stuff.

Q. They're hot, so there you go.

LAUREN COUGHLIN: Yeah, I know. I saw that. And I think Madison Bumgarner is pitching for the Diamondbacks.

Q. Yeah, Bumgarner versus Wheeler, yeah.

LAUREN COUGHLIN: Be fun.