As the Presidents Cup fever has gripped the golfing world, the LPGA Tour witnessed a historic moment of its own. Fresh off the Solheim Cup in Europe, three-time LPGA Tour winner Lauren Coughlin made a remarkable start to Round 2 of the Walmart NW Arkansas Championship on Saturday, carding nine consecutive birdies across her opening nine holes.
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She needed a record-low 26 strokes to complete the front nine at Pinnacle Country Club, capping off a remarkable stretch at the 54-hole Walmart NW Arkansas Championship. As she made the turn and continued onto the back nine, however, the birdie barrage appeared to have come to a halt. Coughlin did manage to add another birdie on the 12th hole, though.
This came after the 33-year-old opened the tournament with a 2-over-par 73 on Friday. That opening round saw her card four bogeys and two birdies, making the dramatic turnaround in the second round even more remarkable. She is currently tied for 18th at 8-under overall, eight shots behind tournament leader Yuna Nishimura.
To put the record into perspective, only one other player in LPGA history has birdied every hole on a single nine. That’s Amy Yang, who shot a 9-under 27 on her back nine during the final round of the 2015 LPGA KEB Hana Bank Championship. Five players in LPGA history have recorded a 27 over nine holes, which is nine strokes under par on a par-36 stretch.
Mi Hyang Lee was the only other player among those five to shoot a 9-under 27, doing so at the 2016 Founders Cup. Meanwhile, the PGA Tour’s record for nine holes is 8-under 26. This is set by Corey Pavin, who did so during the 2006 US Bank Championship. Jamie Kureluk’s 11-under 25 at the 2010 Alberta Open was even lower, but that tournament was not a PGA Tour event.
In any case, the news comes just five months after the 33-year-old won her first event of the season.
Lauren Coughlin won the Aramco Championship
In April, Coughlin won the inaugural Aramco Championship in Las Vegas, securing her first LPGA Tour title since 2024. Coughlin closed with an even-par 72 at Shadow Creek Golf Course to finish at 7-under 281, five shots ahead of Nelly Korda and Leona Maguire.
Coughlin had opened with a 5-under 67 before shooting a 3-under 69 in windy conditions Friday to build a five-shot lead. Korda trimmed the deficit to two entering the final round, but Coughlin quickly restored control with a birdie on the first hole.
The decisive moment came at the par-3 eighth, where Coughlin birdied while Korda made bogey, stretching the lead to six shots.
“I just know I played really, really great all week,” Coughlin said. “Definitely left a sour taste in my mouth last year not getting the W given how well I played all week, so makes it extra special this week.”
Her other two wins came at the CPKC Women’s Open and Women’s Scottish Open in 2024. Regardless, despite her achievement, it’s yet to be seen whether Coughlin capitalizes on it to potentially win on Sunday.