Lauren Coughlin is one of the oldest members of Team USA. He's a rookie too.
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GAINESVILLE, Va. – Lauren Coughlin has never played on the national team before. Not in miniature golf. Not in beginner golf. And not in his eight-year career as a professional.
That changes this week.
When Coughlin steps off the first tee Friday morning at Robert Trent Jones Golf Club, he'll be making his Solheim Cup debut — and he'll be doing so in his home country.
“[It’s] an hour and 10 minutes from my house,” Coughlin said. “Go to that light, turn left and go 65 kilometers, here is my house. So that's great.”
Coughlin was born in Minneapolis but grew up in Chesapeake, Va., about 200 miles south of this week's Solheim Cup outside Washington, D.C. He played golf for the University of Virginia from 2011 to 2016, winning the ACC title in his final year in the league. . qualifying and becoming an All-American in the process. Now, almost ten years later, he is back competing in his hometown wearing the red, white and blue.
Being a local favorite has its perks, but it also makes for a busy schedule. There are friends and family to greet, fans to sign autographs and media to talk to. These weeks are always busy, and Coughlin's local celebrity adds to that.
“I thought I was well prepared, but I wasn't,” Coughlin said. “It's been great, and I'm so glad it's Friday.”
Even 12 months ago, the thought of Coughlin playing for a Solheim Cup team in his home country was almost impossible. When the Americans and Euros battled last September at Finca Cortesin, Coughlin was ranked 119th in the world. His only win as a professional to that point was on the Symetra Tour in 2018. When you were putting together a list of favorites to make this year's program, Coughlin's name wasn't near the top.
But despite those long odds, Coughlin was there Wednesday morning at RTJ Golf Club, playing a practice round with Allsen Corpuz and Ally Ewing on the shores of Lake Manasas. Her friend, Terry McNamara, joined her, along with her husband, John Pond. Among those in the gallery was his best friend.
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“Many of my friends have just bought tickets; he didn't even ask me,” Coughlin said. “I've had a lot of people reach out and say they're going to be here one way or another.”
A year after Coughlin joined, the hype is understandable. In April, he earned his first top 10 with a third-place finish at the Chevron Championship. Later in the summer he earned his first LPGA win at the Canadian Open, which came just a week later. the second time top 10 ranked fourth in Evian. He continued his hot streak a few weeks later when he won and, this time escaping the field at the Scottish Open.
“It's been a whirlwind,” Coughlin said. “But in the best way. It was a lot of fun and I enjoyed every minute of it.”
Not only was his performance considered worthy of the Solheim Cup, it earned him a place in the team. She finished third in the standings behind major winners Nelly Korda and Lilia Vu. Coughlin may enter this week as a rookie, but if the Americans hope to end their winless drought, Coughlin will be an important piece of the puzzle.
But first, he will have to overcome his initial feelings. The jitters before the opening game are always there – even for professionals – but at a team event like this, those feelings reach fever pitch. Add the butterflies to be the favorite of the place and you are sure to make one of the most memorable pictures in his life.
“It's something I've been thinking about and preparing for,” Coughlin said. “All I can do is control myself and my process, and that's all I'm going to focus on.”
After years of preparation, Coughlin's wait to represent his country is almost over. Friday can't come soon enough.
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