CPKC WOMEN'S OPEN

July 28, 2024

Lauren Coughlin

Earl Grey Golf Club

Press Conference

THE MODERATOR: All right, welcome to the media center to the CPKC Women's Open. I'm joined by winner Lauren Coughlin.

I'll open things up.

You're now a LPGA Tour winner now. Talk about how it feels and the emotions you went through today that lead to here right now.

LAUREN COUGHLIN: Yeah, it's pretty incredible. I think I kind of went through a bunch of different things. I was a little anxious to get going, but overall felt pretty good warming up.

When I walked to the first tee I could feel it a little bit. Not too, too bad out on the golf course until probably -- pretty much until Haeran three putted on 16, and then it kind of started there, like just the adrenaline and everything.

But I think I've learned a ton from all of the different times I put myself in position this year and was able to talk to Terry about it and get it out and not keep it internal which is kind of what I tend to want to do.

Yeah, then I hit that shot on 16 -- or on 17, sorry -- and it ended up being really good. I hit it a little behind it. I needed to take some off because if I hit it too good it was probably going to go over the green.

Hadn't really made anything all day and finally just got back to some basics when I was over the putt. Looked like it might not turn in and then it did. Then I was obviously pumped up on the 18th tee.

Q. Just talk about your whole season. At the start of the season did you ever think you would be here at this point, several top 10s and with a trophy? Talk about the journey this year.

LAUREN COUGHLIN: Probably not in the beginning of the year, but as the year progresses I think I started seeing myself get there. Chevron was a huge turning point, and even Evian two weeks ago was a huge learning opportunity and something their hadn't really been in.

I think I learned a ton from that, and I think that's a big reason why I ended up getting the win today.

Q. Took a few years; was it worth the wait to get your first victory?

LAUREN COUGHLIN: Absolutely, yeah. No, it was -- yeah, it's incredible. The adrenaline and everything that I felt today and the emotions and everything, it was awesome.

Q. What was it like to hoist that trophy there?

LAUREN COUGHLIN: Heavier than I thought. (Laughter.)

Q. How would you sort of describe what's going on between your ears when you walk off 17? I'm not sure if you watched her par putt miss or if you were already on 18 tee. That suddenly goes from tie game to you're in the driver's seat. What's going through your mind that that moment?

LAUREN COUGHLIN: Yeah, I did watch to see if she made the putt or not. I didn't know that Saigo was at 11 until I got to the tee box and Terry told me that they were both at 11.

So kind of at that point, I mean, my adrenaline was pumping. My heart was racing pretty good. Just took as many deep breaths as I could and -- which is I think why we hit 3-wood off the tee because he knew I was pretty jacked up.

Yeah, just was trying to hit the fairway, hit the green, two putt, get out of there.

Q. Seemed like when you got handed the bottle of champagne, looked like a pretty big swig.

LAUREN COUGHLIN: There wasn't much in it so I had to get it all the way to come out.

Q. Oh, that's what was happening. Just the celebration and that feeling of winning your first one, was that what you imagined as you were working towards it?

LAUREN COUGHLIN: Yeah, for sure. I think it'll really set in when I call my parents after I'm done with this.

But, yeah, I mean, it was incredible. I want to do it again.

Q. It's not only your first LPGA Tour win, but you've won a national Open; 50th anniversary of this tournament. Wondering how much more it means that this used to be a major, kind of treated like a major by the player. Does that make it more special?

LAUREN COUGHLIN: Yeah, for sure. It's always one of the most well-run events, one of the biggest fans that we have, biggest galleries. It's always top notch and I think the players love it as one of the biggest events of the year for sure.

Yeah, I mean, to win it is awesome. Last year I played really well at Shaughnessy and so I think that kind of got me going. For sure that was one of my -- only my third top 10 at the time.

But, yeah, it's pretty incredible for sure.

Q. Am I right that your husband has caddied for you on occasion?

LAUREN COUGHLIN: Yeah, he's caddied for me seven events this year kind of while I was between caddies, and so he was on the bag with me at Chevron when I finished third there and on the bag two weeks ago at Evian as well. Terry couldn't do Evian so he filled in.

Q. I imagine maybe not going to get back on the bag now.

LAUREN COUGHLIN: I mean, if I can get Terry to come out of retirement, that would be nice.

Q. Lauren, congratulations. Obviously there is probably -- this is all coming at you at this time so there is not really a chance for you to reflect, but maybe there have been a few moments where you've had that opportunity. Are there people, certain things you're thinking about, say, prior to hoisting that trophy or once you finally made that final putt on 18?

LAUREN COUGHLIN: Yeah, I mean, just the people. Again, I think when I was talking to Golf Channel, the people that believed in me from the very beginning who kept me going when I wanted to quit. It's my family, my parents, my husband, my coach, John Llewellyn, Kim Llewellyn, college coach. I mean, I went to Kim Llewellyn's office after my rookie year on Epson wanting to quit and she kind of kept me in it and said, it's normal to feel like that, you're not the only one.

That was in 2017. So those are the people that I was thinking about. Just thankful that I have a really, really small but good circle around me.

Q. Congratulations. Huge win, I know for you and your family. You look back at a moment like that where you want to quit and you're now sitting here as an LPGA winner, to see the trajectory that you have gone through your entire career, can you just put into words what this moment, this finally achieve thing goal means.

LAUREN COUGHLIN: Yeah, just makes it all worth it. All the sacrifices that I made that my husband made when we were just -- when I was just getting started. My family made when I was just getting started.

Again, a lot of people believed in me when I didn't and I wouldn't be where I was without them.

Q. You talked about Terry some this week and some of the things he was telling you on golf course. Can you just take us through how that relationship started? That's pretty cool to have caddie like him, no offense to John, on your bag as well?

LAUREN COUGHLIN: Yeah, Greg Johnston, Nasa Hataoka's caddie connected us at the beginning of this year, or right after Asia when I was kind of between caddies and trying to figure out what I was doing.

My husband was caddieing for me and so, yeah, we met -- well, we talked on the phone and started kind of figuring out when and what it would look like. He doesn't come out to very many events anymore.

But, yeah, so then it was like, okay, we're going to start at Mizuho. His only thing was he couldn't do Evian so John did Evian for me. Yeah, now I'll do through the British and Solheim, Walmart, and then I'll need to find somebody for Asia still. Then I'll get him at the end at ANNIKA and CME.

Q. Definitely don't want to take from the win at such a historic tournament, but this win also puts up in a really important standing for the Solheim Cup. Now having made this statement, having made a statement really all season, has it hit you yet that you might just have put yourself on this team?

LAUREN COUGHLIN: Yeah, I think -- I mean, now that you say it, yes. I think I hadn't really thought about it. Certainly I've been thinking about it all season. I think my process or what I was thinking about had shifted from just trying to make the team to like trying to get myself as ready as possible if I did end up making the team.

So just trying to be in the best position to get as many points as I could for tomorrow. That's where my mind has been.

Also, at the same time, just trying to be in the moment as much as I could and just let my golf do the talking for me.

Q. Definitely did. Thank you so much. Congrats.

LAUREN COUGHLIN: Thank you.

Q. Congratulations. There are a lot of people on social media. It's blowing up.

LAUREN COUGHLIN: I know. I had to put my phone on do not disturb.

Q. I can only imagine the No Laying Up crew especially.

LAUREN COUGHLIN: Uh-huh.

Q. You mentioned earlier that you had to kind of let it out with Terry. Specifically what kind of things are you letting out that you've learned that you need to do when you get in a pressure situation down the stretch?

LAUREN COUGHLIN: Yeah, it's just trying too hard, wanting it too much. So just makes me do certain things with my swing and so just tightens me just enough in certain spots.

Usually I've learned just by saying I can feel it, and it's a very miniscule amount, but it's enough that it can change my feels.

So just talking, just being like, hey, I'm feeling it right now or fighting it. I was warming up on the range and I could tell I could getting quick. He'll just say something, usually really well said, to get me to think about something else. So that was kind of most of it.

But, again, I think I did a good job overall of just trying to not pay too much attention as best I could to what Haeran was doing, which was a big thing that I think I learned from Evian.

So then on 17 it was just so, hey, I'm feeling the adrenaline. I can feel it. Same thing on 18. But I was just trying to control my breathing as much as I could and that was the big thing.

Q. What would you tell a youngster who maybe is a late bloomer, maybe not on the Junior Solheim Cup team or heavily rerouted by top colleges? What would you tell someone who's trying to find their way in the long run?

LAUREN COUGHLIN: Get around the best people you can, people, players usually the better. I feel like I learned so much by getting myself around people who are better than me and just trying to learn as much as I could, what are they are doing, what are they're practicing, how are they doing things.

Yeah, I think that was a big thing. Just don't give up. Just because you're not good from 12 years old doesn't mean you won't be good at 25 or 30.

Q. Thank you so much. Congrats again.

LAUREN COUGHLIN: Thank you.

Q. You mentioned grit being really important in your career. How much did that word sort of run through your head today, if at all?

LAUREN COUGHLIN: I mean, a little bit today. I think other part was just patience is what Terry and I were talking about a lot. He just kept being like, they'll eventually go in, they'll eventually go in.

Obviously eventually it did on 17. I think also I've just started to learn why I do certain things over time. So I don't get mad or upset. Hey, I know what I did. Move on.

Yeah, again, I think I didn't necessarily see it coming that Haeran of going do what she did. Again, just kept myself in it.

Just was able to stay super patient and let it happen there at the end.

Q. Those last couple holes have been really tough for a lot of people. You haven't made a bogey in any of those this week. How important were those last holes for you do you think?

LAUREN COUGHLIN: Yeah, it is huge. I've been working on speed control all year, and so I'm not too worried about it. Like at the beginning of the year I was giving myself a 45-, 50-footer that used to cause me a lot of anxiety because I thought I would three putt them.

I think it's become a strength of my game this year, and so I think I just -- if I hit in the rough I was able to give myself a chance and just move on to the next hole and hope I can hit a good one there.

Q. Last one from me. You've seemed so calm, cool, and collected this whole week, and even up here after you've won. What have you done do you think to help get yourself to this point? You've been like this all year seems like, just very easygoing.

LAUREN COUGHLIN: I think that's just me being myself and getting comfortable being myself and not thinking that I need to be anything else. I used to think that oh, I need to be all super serious and look like I'm just trying to look a certain way or act a certain way because that's what I thought I needed to do.

I think this year, as the year has progressed especially, I've gotten more and more comfortable just being myself which is normally a very carefree and fun and relaxed person.

THE MODERATOR: Thank you so much. Congratulations.

LAUREN COUGHLIN: Thanks.