FM CHAMPIONSHIP

August 29, 2024

Lauren Coughlin

TPC Boston

Quick Quotes

Q. All right, here with Lauren Coughlin, one of our clubhouse leaders at the moment here at the FM Championship. Lauren, this is the inaugural event, new for everybody. Just like to know how your first round felt at this new course.

LAUREN COUGHLIN: Yeah, I played really solid. Disappointing bogey there at the last, but overall played really well. Made a lot of really good putts on the front nine. Greens where getting really firm and some of them aren't very deep, and so was kind of glad I got some on the front nine down and done in the beginning of the day.

Yeah, no, it's a really good golf course. Greens are rolling extremely good. It's, yeah, a great golf course.

Q. Some of these greens look really tricky, especially here on 18. Take us through some of the difficulties out there.

LAUREN COUGHLIN: Yeah, I mean, that is a pretty tough pin for a Thursday. Yeah, there is just not really -- if you miss too far long and left and not by much you can be down in a really bad spot. Then you can leave yourself, like I did, a long 50-footer that has to go up a huge hill.

I just hit it a little bit too hard and had about a 4-footer downhill.

They're pretty quick. I think that's the challenge of the course, is trying to pick your spots on certain holes. There are definitely some holes that you can kind of go get, but overall you have to be pretty patient and hit quality golf shots.

Q. First time playing a course or a tournament here. Is it something that the first round, especially you being one of the first players on the course, you're almost scouting and setting an example or how to play it for everybody a little bit at this point?

LAUREN COUGHLIN: Yeah, we don't really know what the scores will be because we haven't played here. Most events you can kind of tell what the winning score is going to be based on conditions and just in the past.

This is a brand new one.

But I think it's pretty tough. I definitely think if -- it's already pretty firm. That was this morning. I can imagine as the week gets on they're going to firm up pretty good and be extremely challenging.

Q. Were you glad to be one of the first players out there or doesn't matter?

LAUREN COUGHLIN: No, doesn't matter. It was nice to kind of get going just because I like -- I don't have to wait around or anything. But, no, I mean, I was just normal week.

Q. What's your process for shaking off that bogey on 18?

LAUREN COUGHLIN: I already know what I did so I'm not too worried about it. I can fix it. I didn't quite aim where I was trying to I don't think, so just didn't make it. It was a good stroke; just didn't quite hit it where I was trying to.

Q. You played with Elizabeth today. Did you play at college together?

LAUREN COUGHLIN: Yeah, and she was a bridesmaid in my wedding.

Q. Was this requested or just luck of the draw?

LAUREN COUGHLIN: Luck of the draw. Same with -- I'm really good friends with Bailey as well, so, yeah, lucky pairing.

Q. Does it give you a comfort level to be out there with them?

LAUREN COUGHLIN: Yeah, for sure. Any time you get to play with your friends it's a lot more relaxed and easygoing. I'll play with anybody.

Q. The schedule for the last month, been in Europe for a while, what was if like getting used to coming back here? And the weather is a lot different than in Scotland.

LAUREN COUGHLIN: Yeah, it was pretty hot yesterday. A lot of layers the last two weeks. But it was kind of nice being morning this morning because I haven't quite gotten over the jet lag. Last two days been getting up at like -- wide awake at like 4:30, which was fine for today.

Now I'm hoping that tomorrow I should be able to get it. Hopefully can stay up a little bit later tonight. Yeah, I'm happy to be back in the U.S. but I had a great time in Scotland. I always do.

Q. The Solheim Cup, it's a home game for you this year. How excited are you to represent the U.S. in that?

LAUREN COUGHLIN: Yeah, very excited. The golf course is an hour and ten minutes from my house, so we got asked about a flight and I was like, don't worry about it. I'm going to just be driving up there.

Yeah, I'm extremely excited. I have friends and family going to be coming, some people that don't really get to get a chance to come watch me play because we don't really usually get to play very close to where I live. So I'm excited.

Q. Does this run you've been on this year, two-time winner, clubhouse leader today, what's working for you?

LAUREN COUGHLIN: Putting. Putting. I'm hitting the ball really well, hitting my spots, hitting my lines off the tee, and making putts. Kind of those 10-, 20-footers that I struggled to make a lot of, I'm rolling them really well right now.

And just staying really patient and not trying to force things when it's not there; onto the next shot or next hole; try to make a birdie again.

Q. Two wins obviously would do a lot of things for anybody's confidence. How was your confidence trending before you won in Canada that's really carried over into the stretch where you can come out on a golf course and know you can shoot a low one any day of the week?

LAUREN COUGHLIN: Yeah, it's just with the confidence that I know I can make a lot of birdies, and I've started to hit it well enough to where I'm hitting a majority of my greens and not really having to get up and down all that much.

Most of it is probably making sure I don't three-putt a couple time on some of the longer putts I might give myself. Yeah, I think it's just -- I remember after Canada I was like, I want to do it again, so I was just thinking, keep doing what I'm doing, don't change anything. That's kind of been my whole thing.