Lauren Coughlin Leads at LPGA Shadow Creek Tournament | Golf News

Lauren Coughlin is in a three-way tie for the lead after the first round of the Aramco Championship at Shadow Creek in North Las Vegas, Nevada. Coughlin shot a 5-under 67, matching scores with Nasa Hataoka and Women’s British Open champion Miyu Yamashita. The tournament, co-sanctioned by the LPGA and the Ladies European Tour, features a $4 million purse and has shifted to stroke play after five years of match play.

Coughlin’s familiarity with Shadow Creek proved advantageous. She played 127 holes at the course last year during the T-Mobile Match Play event, ultimately finishing as the runner-up to Madelene Sagstrom. “I feel like I know this place really well. Been in a lot of the places that you don’t want to be, so I feel like… I just know the spots that I need to land it to a lot of the pins, where to miss if you have to,” Coughlin said, according to the Associated Press.

The Aramco Championship has attracted all players from the top 20 in the women’s world rankings. The event is sponsored by Saudi Arabia’s state oil company, Aramco, which also sponsors the Aramco Series on the Ladies European Tour.

Nelly Korda and Hyo Joo Kim are also in contention, both carding rounds of 68. Korda achieved an eagle on the par-5 18th, while Kim did not drop a shot after a bogey on her opening hole. Kim has won the last two LPGA Tour events, with Korda finishing as the runner-up in both instances. This marks the first time an LPGA player has finished 1-2 in consecutive weeks in 25 years.

Shadow Creek has been a part of the LPGA schedule since 2021, but previously hosted match play events for the past five years. The switch to stroke play for the Aramco Championship has brought a different dynamic to the tournament.

Coughlin navigated the course without dropping a shot until her final hole, the 9th. She expressed relief at avoiding a repeat of last year’s grueling schedule. “Yeah, it was nice to not play seven rounds hopefully in five days like last year,” she stated.

The strong field and challenging course were praised by Coughlin. “It’s great,” she said. “And we have a really great golf course that tests every bit of your game.”

Madelene Sagstrom defeated Lauren Coughlin to win the LPGA T-Mobile Match Play at Shadow Creek on April 6, 2025, according to the Las Vegas Review-Journal.