JM EAGLE LA CHAMPIONSHIP

April 20, 2025

Lauren Coughlin

Quick Quotes

Q. Here with Lauren Coughlin after her final round here at the JM Eagle LA Championship presented by Plastpro. Another solid finish for you, especially heading into a busy stretch?

LAUREN COUGHLIN: Yeah.

Q. Take us through the day.

LAUREN COUGHLIN: Yeah, felt like I played really solid. Hit some really good shots. Just couldn't get the putts to go in today.

But overall I played really, really good golf all week, so a lot of good things to take away going into our first major next week.

Q. Two Top 3 finishes for you back-to-back weeks. What is maybe the one little thing that you need to take it over the edge and get another victory?

LAUREN COUGHLIN: Yeah, that bunker shot on the last, I would like to have that back, and the iron shot in that fairway. Again, just didn't really -- just couldn't really get the putts to go in.

You know, just get back working on that and dialed in on the greens next week. It's bermuda, so a little bit different.

Yeah, other than that I feel like I played just really super solid the last couple weeks. Hope to continue it.

Q. They were talking about it on the broadcast, that you seem to have unfortunately today a lot of putts from above the hole and had to be really tentative with those.

LAUREN COUGHLIN: (Nods.)

Q. Seemed like the course was playing maybe a little more firm. Was that a contributing factor to maybe not being able to hold some of those approach shots below the hole?

LAUREN COUGHLIN: Yeah, I feel like there was a bunch of front pins today, and so unfortunately you have a lot of wedges, and so like if you miss like on -- on 17 for instance, like another yard and I'm probably almost tap-in, and instead because I'm hitting a gap wedge, it just hits and stops.

Kind of knew that was the place to be, so I kind of feel like I -- not purposely, but erred to where if I -- erred to try to get myself some good below the hole opportunities. There were just some I hit really good shots and the wind didn't catch like I thought it was going to, like on 12.

I mean, that gap wedge I hit, it was 120 hole and it hit 120, which normally goes about 115. We thought there was a touch of hurt if anything, and just didn't really touch it and it landed at the hole. You should've seen how shallow my pitch mark was, and it just didn't quite catch the slope; whereas if it's a little bit more to the right maybe it comes back down.

So just a hair off I feel like most of the day.

Yeah, the broadcast is right, a lot of times I couldn't really hit -- I couldn't really go after it. If I did, I was going to have a five-footer, like on 12.

It was just unfortunate, but it is what it is.

Q. On a day where those putts aren't dropping like you said, you managed to still hang around, make a couple birdies late to give yourself a chance. How proud are you to be able to do that, and what kind of confidence does that give you moving forward?

LAUREN COUGHLIN: Yeah, it can be hard, but I think I told my caddie after I think I missed that one on 12, I was giving myself a lot of like 15-footers, which like the make percentage on those is like 25%.

So yeah, I was giving myself good opportunities, but realistically you're only going to make one in four of those. I feel like I made a lot throughout the week.

But it is -- yeah, I wish I could have had a couple back, but I couldn't be aggressive on a lot of them when it was just tough.

Q. I don't know if when you walk by holes 15 being Walter and Shirley were sitting there.

LAUREN COUGHLIN: Uh-huh.

Q. They were beaming when they saw you pass. Can you talk about at that moment where you were? I know you were focused on the tournament, but what did that mean?

LAUREN COUGHLIN: Yeah, I just missed like a four-footer for birdie on that hole. Then I saw them up there just kind of hanging out.

We wouldn't have this tournament without them. Wouldn't have this great of a purse without them and their support and the free hotel and all the great things about this event, and so of course I'm going to thank them when I see them.

So, yeah gave them both a fist pump and thanks for this week. It's just such a little thing but can make a big difference. Just want to show my appreciation for what they do for us.

Q. Getting back to the golf then, what will you take from this tournament? I know it's right at the end of it, but what so far do you feel that you will take from this tournament going forward?

LAUREN COUGHLIN: Yeah, I feel like, like you said, I gave myself chance, which is all you can really hope for. It sucks not getting it done. I feel like I played really, really good golf all week, and I can hopefully take that momentum from the last couple weeks into next week, which is our first major of the year, The Chevron.

That's one of my next goals. Won twice now, so next one is to win a major. Hopefully I can give myself a shot next week as well.

Q. Any thoughts about the rookies that you were competing with, in the lead with, as far as their game or something that you got to see this tournament that you maybe hadn't seen from them?

LAUREN COUGHLIN: Yeah, I played in the third round last year at Portland with Ingrid, and I mean, you could tell that she's super talented and very, very good at what she does. She just needed to clean up a couple things, so I'm really happy for her.

She was a top ranked amateur for a really long time in college golf.

Then Akie, she hammers the ball. I played with Ina Yoon who I don't know if she played too good today, but I played against her in Match Play last week and she is very, very good.

Like I would not be surprised if she wins at some point this year. I think I played a practice round with Rio Takeda. Very good. That's a really strong rookie class. A lot of really, really good players. I know Ingrid is not a rookie anymore, but she's only second year.

So pretty impressive to do what she did today.