At the Chevron Championship, the 94th-ranked LPGA Tour player on Rolex Rankings, Lauren Coughlin, has taken the lead after the conclusion of the first round. Interestingly, Coughlin has never entered the top 10 in any of the events she has played on the LPGA Tour since 2018. So, it sure is a big deal for the Minnesota native. There is something more that marks this small milestone as a special one!

On her bag, Coughlin’s husband, John Pond, is supporting her. After splitting with Caddie John Sudduth, Coughlin made pairs with many other loopers and finally settled with her husband. Let us get to know the man who is supporting his wife from inside and outside the rope.

John Pond’s personal life and professional career

John Pond hails from the small town of Chester, Virginia. The eldest son of Marikaye and Lindsey Pond, growing up, was intrigued by hunting, bowling, and fishing. However, one thing that took most of his time was football. He was admitted to Matoaca High School in Chester County; there, he played as a guard and center on the offensive line for his high school.

Pond was a rising star and Virginia’s Elite Top 100 player in 2010. He entered the University of Virginia in 2011 to continue his passion for football. Pond was quick to fill the spot on the UVA football team and played in many games for the university. After completing his bachelor’s in history, Pond decided to continue his collegiate football career and his studies.

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He did a Master of Education at UVA, and his constant efforts for his team were recognized when he graduated in 2014. Pond was on the ACC Academic Honor Roll. Although his football career was budding after his studies ended, Pond took a different route for his professional start.

Two years after his last day at UVA, he joined it once again, but this time as an Assistant Director of UVA Clubs and Global Engagement. From 2016 to 2024, Pond served in different positions for the UVA, and it was also the place where he met the love of his life and eventual wife, Coughlin.

How did Pond and Lauren Coughlin meet? 

John Pond and Coughlin, both students at the University of Virginia, met at a football Christmas party as they lived in the same dormitory. He and Coughlin met each other and were introduced by a mutual friend. Pond revealed to Golf Week that his friend first took out the LPGA Tour Pro on a date. However, the two didn’t sync, and Pond got his chance.

The two bonded over the fact that Coughlin had a car because, as the football guy, Pond was a foodie, and she used to take him to many places. The two eventually started their relationship in 2012. But it was three years later that Pond popped the question in a pretty creative manner.

At the ACC game in 2016, Coughlin had just won the individual title, and her team, the Cavaliers, won the team’s game. During the post-match ceremony, Pond took the mic, went on one knee, and asked Coughlin to be his life partner. She said yes, and the pair tied the knot two years later, on January 20th, 2018.

The two have been together for more than a decade now, so when Pond noticed that Coughlin might need his help more than ever, which may catapult her career into a different dimension, he decided to take a huge decision that may change their lives.

Why did John Pond start caddying for Coughlin again? 

After being caddie-free at the start of February, Coughlin was looking for a new looper. But she didn’t think that her husband would be caddying for her. However, after leaving the UVA job, Pond requested that Coughlin should be her caddy. She revealed at the Chevron Championship presser, “He’s been begging me to give him an opportunity, a real opportunity, because he’s caddied for me off and on over the years.”

But she was hesitant and thought to give Pond and herself a three-week trial. She explained, “I was like, okay, I’ll give you these three weeks. I’ll know after three weeks if we can do it. When I say we, I mean me. Because I know he can do all of the things that I need him to do.”

Coughlin was resisting the two being in a professional relationship because she didn’t want the topic of their conversation off the course to always be golf and her. She doesn’t always love to get all the attention. However, to give each space outside golf, the two have rented different cars and often spend time alone.

The decision also came from the place of care. As a husband, he recognized that Coughlin might become the next big thing, and she would need his support big time. To do that, he assured the pro that even if things go left, “if after a year we don’t like it, I can go back and get a job again,” Pond told Coughlin.

The two, though at times in their spaces, now spend more time together, and Pond’s communicative skills also help Coughlin get it together on the greens. The last time the two were together on the greens before the 2024 season was at the U.S. Open qualifier in 2023. Then, Coughlin and Pond weren’t fortunate enough to qualify. However, now that she is taking a huge stride in her first major, their partnership may come to fruition, just like Pond and Coughlin were waiting for!