Lauren Coughlin had a profession 12 months en path to her first Solheim Cup look — and an unconventional coaching support helped her get there.
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GAINESVILLE, Va. — Lauren Coughlin‘s meteoric rise to the Solheim Cup began with a putter change.
In March of this 12 months, Coughlin was 107th on the earth rating. She had aspirations of taking part in her means onto the Solheim Cup crew by 12 months’s finish, however with zero profession victories, the objective appeared unlikely.
Her 2024 marketing campaign acquired off to a strong — if unspectacular — begin. Coughlin made 4 cuts in 5 begins, together with her greatest end a T21 end in the course of the Asia swing. Cashing checks is at all times good, however to make the Solheim Cup roster, she wanted a particular season.
When the LPGA schedule returned stateside, Coughlin readied for the Ford Championship in Arizona. A number of days earlier than the event, she and her husband visited Ping’s headquarters in Phoenix. Whereas there, she fell in love with a brand new wand — the PLD Oslo.
Armed together with her new putter, Coughlin positioned eighth on the Ford Championship — simply the third top-10 of her profession. Three weeks later, she cashed the most important verify of her profession with a T3 on the Chevron Championship. She continued the stellar play for the rest of the summer time, successful twice and ending third within the Solheim Cup standings as she certified for her first nationwide crew.
“It’s been form of a whirlwind,” Coughlin stated. “However in one of the best ways. It’s been tremendous enjoyable and I’ve loved each minute of it.”
Coughlin’s putter change has been credited for sparking her exceptional run this summer time. However the 31-year-old made one other key change to her placing similtaneously her membership change.
PING 2024 PLD Milled Oslo 3 Customized Putter
$449.99
Shares the attributes of the Tyrrell Hatton-influenced mallet however with an Anser 3-style hosel that makes it a slight arc putter. Its gentle aluminum hosel helps place weight low to optimize the middle of gravity for consistency and accuracy.
High quality and precision
A strong block of cast, 303 chrome steel requires greater than 4 hours of milling time; exactly shaping each floor and radius to realize the top quality and premium look anticipated in a precision-milled putter.
Management and consistency
A precision-milled face sample, often known as deep AMP (Aggressive Milling Sample), is impressed by tour participant suggestions and gives the texture and pace management it is advisable to ship score-lowering consistency on the inexperienced.
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A part of the rationale for Coughlin’s placing woes got here from her behavior of turning her head to look at the ball roll proper as she struck the ball. To repair the issue, Coughlin’s husband and coach acquired collectively and created a do-it-yourself coaching support: security goggles with duct tape over the left half of the left lens.
“I have a tendency to actually search for early, particularly on brief putts,” Coughlin stated. “It’s simply mainly so I don’t search for and I don’t take a look at the opening after I’m placing.”
The creation of the goggles got here the identical week as her putter change in Arizona — and the outcomes converse for themselves.
In keeping with KPMG’s Efficiency Insights, Coughlin ranks thirty seventh on the LPGA Tour in SG: Placing, gaining .70 strokes per spherical on the greens. Final season, she ranked 210th in the identical class. The 12 months earlier than, she was 227th.
“Originally of the 12 months I used to be giving myself a 45-, 50-footer that used to trigger me a variety of nervousness as a result of I assumed I might three putt them,” she stated. “I feel [putting has] develop into a energy of my sport this 12 months.”
All because of a well timed putter change and DIY coaching support.
