Lauren Coughlin nearly hit a Vegas jackpot in 2025 after a runner up finish at the LPGA Match Play at Shadow Creek, and now her journey during the 2026 Aramco Championship at the course has her in position to finally celebrate a win at the legendary course. Coughlin had the lead by five shots after two rounds.
Wind and challenging conditions met the players on Friday, but Coughlin stayed cool and played the hand she was dealt.
“It was really difficult out there,” said the 33-year-old Coughlin. “The wind was kind of swirling at times and a lot of crosswinds. Is it hurting or helping? Very difficult. The greens firmed up as they do in the afternoon, especially with the wind. A really, really solid round. I had a lot of fun out there and I’m looking forward to the weekend.”
Coughlin leads from world No 3 Hyo Joo Kim of South Korea and Ireland’s Leona Maguire with American world No 2 Nelly Korda, Denmark’s Nanna Koerstz Madsen and Japan’s Miyu Yamashita, who had tracked Coughlin for much of the day before a triple bogey six on the 17th, all tied on two-under.
Her experience at Shadow Creek in previous events is paying off huge in 2026.
“I think two years ago when we played stroke play here and it blew kind of similar to this was probably the best prep than even the match play, just because I knew what it would be like,” Coughlin said. “In my mind, I already I kind of had an idea. I watched the scores a little bit this morning and could tell, yeah, it’s playing really difficult. This is my fourth year playing this course, so I think I know it super well. I’ve played it a bunch, especially given how many times you can play it in match play. I think this helped a lot.”
The Aramco Championship is the second of five marquee events on the 2026 PIF Global Series after the PIF Saudi Ladies International in Riyadh, won by England’s Charley Hull in February, with further tournaments to come in London, Seoul and Shenzhen.
The Golf Saudi-organized tournaments provide a platform for the world’s best players – all the top 20 are competing here at Shadow Creek – while also opening the door to the game to newcomers and beginners.
On Friday, students from Desert Oasis High School were given expert coaching insights as part of Golf Saudi’s drive to bring more people to the game in leading golfing markets.