Folks, buckle up: Lauren Coughlin made a real statement at the inaugural Aramco Championship event at Shadow Creek, Las Vegas! With a dominant five-shot victory and a strong 7-under par, she claimed the title. Ireland's Leona Maguire and golf icon Nelly Korda finished tied for second at 2-under par. What an opening on the LPGA Tour!
Coughlin delivered an exceptional wire-to-wire victory. She held the lead from start to finish, never relinquishing it across rounds of 67, 69, 73, and 72 for a total score of 281. She showed ice-cold nerves, especially on Sunday: an even-par round of 72 and a decisive two-shot swing on the par-3 eighth hole – a birdie for her, a bogey for Korda – extended her lead to a comfortable six strokes. This was her first LPGA victory in two years and her third LPGA title overall, having already triumphed in Canada and Scotland in 2024.
Maguire Fights Her Way Up
Leona Maguire also showed what she's made of. The 31-year-old posted a stellar final round of 71, reaching 2-under par for the tournament. After four birdies on the front nine, she had to endure two bogeys on holes 11 and 12, but a birdie on the par-5 18th hole was a really strong finish. For her tied second-place finish, she collected over $313,000 – her best performance of 2026 so far! Maguire praised the conditions at the famously challenging Shadow Creek, where she managed to post three sub-par rounds.
Shadow Creek: A True Monster Layout
The 6,765-yard (6,186-meter) layout of Shadow Creek was described by many players as major-worthy. Birdies were hard to come by, and the results show it: only three players finished the tournament with under-par scores: alongside winner Coughlin and Maguire, Miyu Yamashita was at 1-under par. It was truly a battle out there on the green!
