By: Max Bechtoldt
Lauren Coughlin, who Fore-All.com listed as the top choice to win the CPKC Women’s Open, has taken the early wave lead in round one.
Coughlin, in tough conditions, shot a -4 68 to grab the early round one lead ahead of a strong leaderboard, which includes both Minjee Lee and Haeran Ryu at -3.
The first round was in some danger because of low air quality caused by wild fires in the area. Luckily, the conditions improved quickly over the last night, allowing the round to start without a hitch.
Coughlin excelled on the front nine, her second nine of the day. Coughlin made all pars on the back side, before making five birdies with only one bogey on the front nine. Coughlin, being a solid ball striker, birdied both of the par 5s on that nine, and two of the three par 3s.
The putter was working well for the former Virginia star, a dangerous sentence for the rest of the field. Coughlin had just 26 putts, after hitting 10 fairways and 13 greens.
The 31-year-old has had the best season of her career in 2024, but is still looking for her first-career win. Coughlin has been propelled up the world rankings by her two top-five finishes in majors, likely leading to her first Solheim Cup appearance. A win this week would be the icing on the cake to a great season.
