EVIAN-LES-BAINS, France — Former Hickory High star Lauren Coughlin made a long eagle putt on the 18th hole to shoot a 6-under 65 and move within a shot of the lead at the Evian Championship, an LPGA major tournament, on Saturday.
Coughlin, who grew up in Chesapeake and also was a standout at the University of Virginia, is tied with Japan’s Ayaka Furue at 13-under 200. They are one shot behind Australia’s Stephanie Kyriacou, who shot a 67 on Saturday and is at 14-under 199.
Coughlin had two eagles in her round: on the par-5 ninth and par-5.
WHAT A FINISH!
Lauren Coughlin with a textbook EAGLE on the final hole to surge into a tie for the lead! 🇺🇸 #EvianChamp pic.twitter.com/0u7MSFCro0
— Golf Channel (@GolfChannel) July 13, 2024
“I’ve just been hitting my irons and driver extremely well, and finally rolling in some putts, too. It was a great round,” Coughlin said.
Born in Minneapolis, Coughlin is seeking her first LPGA victory after joining the tour in 2018. She has one professional win; it came on the Epson Tour. Her best finish at a major tournament came earlier this year, when she tied for third at the Chevron Championship in April.
Kyriacou posted seven birdies in her round Saturday.
“I’m just trying to stay patient. The more you play this course, the more you figure out the tips and tricks,” Kyriacou said. “I don’t think I’ve been in contention in a major before, so it’s exciting.”
Furue carded two bogeys, ending an impressive streak of 46 holes without one.
Defending champion Celine Boutier of France started her round with a triple bogey, setting a tone that she struggled to recover from. She finished with a 69 and was 11 strokes behind Kyriacou.
“I tried to forget that first hole and start over, but I admit it was a bit difficult,” Boutier said. “It’s frustrating, but that’s part of golf. I hope to have a better day tomorrow.”
While Coughlin is the top American on the leaderboard, Ally Ewing of Tupelo, Mississippi, is tied for fifth at 9-under 204. Ewing had the best round of the day at 7-under 64. No other Americans are in the top 20.
