NW ARKANSAS CHAMPIONSHIP

September 23, 2022

Lauren Coughlin

Pinnacle Country Club

Quick Quotes

Q. Here with Lauren Coughlin. What a round; 7-under; ended with an eagle on the 18. Walk me through those last couple golf shots.

LAUREN COUGHLIN: Yeah, so I had a really good drive. Had 197 yards. Hit my favorite club in the bag, 4-hybrid to probably about 25, 28 feet or so u.

Yeah, was a big -- it broke a ton and went right in.

Q. When these putts are breaking like that, is it a bonus or are you just picking a spot and hoping it goes over the spot?

LAUREN COUGHLIN: Yeah, I was more just trying to ease it up there because it broke so much.

But, yeah, just felt pretty good. Feel like I saw the line really well and just rolled it.

Q. Obviously finished really well. Take me through the rest of the round. What was working so well?

LAUREN COUGHLIN: Yeah, I putted really well today. Took advantage of some of the shorter holes on the front nine, 1, 5, and then I had a really good par save on 8. I hit it left and was really blocked out. Got up and down from about 30 yards.

Then that kind of kept me going. Yeah, made birdie on 11.

Bogeyed 12. Again, just hit a little bit left. Got blocked out again. Almost went in the hazard long. Didn't get up and down. That was my only bogey of the day.

But then rolled in about a 30-footer on the next hole for birdie to kind of keep it going. Yeah, was just seeing lines really well and had really good speed on a lot of putts, so they just kept seeming to go in.

Q. Hot start so far. What's your mindset heading into the next two rounds?

LAUREN COUGHLIN: Yeah, always really liked this golf course. Last year was the first time I made the cut, but I knew that if I could just get some putts going I could play well here. I was really excited to get back here. My parents are here, so probably going to go get dinner with them tonight and enjoy the rest of the week.

Q. Heading into the last stretch of the season, I know you probably know where you are.

LAUREN COUGHLIN: Yeah.

Q. What's the mindset? Are you just going for broke at this point?

LAUREN COUGHLIN: Yeah, I was pretty anxious and nervous to start week. Had a really good talk with my husband Monday night. I kind of knew once I got into the week it was more the waiting game, and once the week gets going and I get into the golf, that's my happy place.

I kind of knew once I got in the groove of it it would kind of go away, and it did. It was also nice being first off, fresh greens and stuff. Played really fast on the front nine, which I like.

So, yeah.

Q. I go down to the hotel lobby this morning, the middle of the night, and what do you know, you're going out. I was ridiculously early. What is your morning routine like?

LAUREN COUGHLIN: Yeah, so my coach is here as well and he was staying at the Days Inn, so I was picking him up and then heading to the golf course so he didn't have to take the shuttle over and everything.

Yeah, my routine was I got here about 5:35 or so, ate breakfast. I start warming up been an hour, ten minutes before my tee time. That's about it.

Q. In the dark?

LAUREN COUGHLIN: In the dark. Yes, it was very dark. Didn't really start seeing balls, ball flight until I was hitting my drivers that it finally got light enough I was seeing the ball go. So very dark.

Q. As Sarah mentioned, it's hard not to come into a week like this anxious given where you are on the CME list. How do you temper that?

LAUREN COUGHLIN: Yeah, I think I learned over the years or starting to finally learn that leaving it in and bottling it up doesn't help. Getting it out and talking about it, even just saying I'm anxious, I'm nervous, can kind of make it go away.

So I kind of had a big long talk with my husband about it on Monday, like I said. We talked for like an hour on the phone. He always seems to have really good words of wisdom for me.

Q. You've talked about that before. He seems to be a great sports psychologist for you. How does that work out?

LAUREN COUGHLIN: I think just because we've been together ten years and married four and a half, so...

He played football so he kind of gets those sports, and I think really he gets me is really what it is.

And he's very smart, intelligent, good with words, so, yeah, just always seems to know what to say to get me to calm down.