Madelene Sagstrom rallies to beat Lauren Coughlin in LPGA's T Mobile Match Play
Madelene Sagstrom rallies to beat Lauren Coughlin in LPGA's T Mobile Match Play
The LPGA's lone match-play event came down to the No. 13 seed (Lauren Coughlin) vs. the No. 46 seed (Madelens Sagstrom) in Las Vegas. The tournament's star power was dimmed Friday when eight of the top 10 seeds failed to escape group play.
The top two of those 10 who did advance – Jenno Thitikul (2) and Angel Yin (10) – then ended up facing each other in quarterfinal matchup Saturday, with Yin winning 4 and 2.
Sunday started with the semifinals, pitting Ariya Jutanugarn (32) against Coughlin and Yin taking on Sagstrom. Jutanugarn on Friday eliminated world No. 1 and tournament top seed Nelly Korda, handing Korda her first match play loss.
Coughlin beat Jutanugarn 1 up and Sagstrom went on to beat Yin 4 and 2, setting up the Sunday afternoon final at Shadow Creek Golf Club.
Sagstrom took control early in the match with birdies on three straight holes – Nos. 4, 5 and 6 – to go 4 up. But Coughlin hung tough with birdies on Nos. 8 and 9. A Sagstrom double-bogey on the 11th knotted things up and Coughlin took her first lead of the match on the 12th hole with a par to Sagstrom's bogey.
Sagstrom then won the 13th to tie it and the 16th to go back to a 1-up lead. She held serve from there and won the match and the $300,000 first-place prize.
"I'm exhausted and I bet Lauren is exhausted," she said. "I worked so hard. All of us work so hard. I really struggled quite a lot, especially with my driver end of last year, and I worked so hard with Callaway and my coach, Hans."
She then referenced bouncing back from a disappointing week outside Phoenix a week ago at the Ford Championship.
"It's just such a nice feeling. I played pretty well last week and didn't make the cut, but it's just like it's hard because everyone works hard because it's tough out here," she said. "It's just fantastic feeling and it's just knowing that all the hard work really did pay off."
Coughlin was asked what she would take away from the week as runner-up.
"That I can play 72 holes in two days, which I didn't know I could do that," she said. "But, no, again, I think it's just who I am as a player, is a grinder, and I fought all the way to the end."
The LPGA has a week off before the JM Eagle Championship in Los Angeles. Then it's the first women's major of the year, the Chevron Championship, April 24-27 at The Club at Carlton Woods in The Woodlands, Texas, outside Houston.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Washington Post
an hour ago
- Washington Post
Jennifer Kupcho wins ShopRite LPGA Classic, ending nearly 3-year drought
GALLOWAY, N.J. — Jennifer Kupcho closed with an 8-foot birdie putt in light rain to hold off Ilhee Lee on Sunday in the ShopRite LPGA Classic, ending a drought of nearly three years without winning. Kupcho, whose four LPGA Tour titles include a major at the Chevron Championship, birdied three of the last five holes for a 5-under 66. She took the lead with a 20-foot birdie putt from just off the green on the 14th, and avoided a playoff with the putt on 18.
Boston Globe
2 hours ago
- Boston Globe
Jennifer Kupcho wins ShopRite LPGA Classic, ending nearly three-year drought
Advertisement But the South Korean finished strong, with five birdies on the back, including the last two holes, for a 68. It wasn't enough to catch Kupcho, who was in her own world. Kupcho finished at 15-under 198 in one of only two LPGA events contested over 54 holes. 'I really just wasn't thinking about anything else,' Kupcho said. 'I think in my mind I had set on 14 under, so I was really just trying to get to that number. Obviously did a little better. Yeah, just feels really nice. Just kind of stayed in my zone the whole time.' Jennifer Kupcho from 20 feet out to extend her lead 💪 — LPGA (@LPGA) The 36-year-old Lee won her only LPGA title 12 years ago in the Bahamas on a course shortened to 12 holes because of historic rain. But she had played only 18 times in the last seven years, finishing off her college degree and working briefly for Financial Forum. Lately, she has been a part-time golf teacher. Advertisement Lee got into the field as a past tournament winner, at No. 1,426 in the women's world ranking. 'I worked for Financial Forum for 100 days and then got out,' Lee said. 'Then I realize, 'Oh, I'm good at golf.' So I got to teach golf. I started teaching a little bit, not full time, but I was teaching a little bit and I loved it. I absolutely loved it. 'So since then I was teaching a little bit and playing at the same time and rehabbing, more treatment on my shoulder and back and ankle. I still have few students waiting for me in LA so I get to see them next week.' Kupcho gets a much-needed win after going without a trophy after her three-win 2022 season. 'It just feels amazing,' Kupcho said. 'I think I struggled a lot early in the year and had a lot of tough weeks, a lot of hard conversations, and it feels good.' She said she carried some momentum from last week in the US Women's Open, even though she missed the cut. 'Me and the US Open sometimes just don't get along. I think I just carried my ball striking into this week,' Kupcho said. 'Hit the ball really well last week, hit it well this week, and just sunk some putts.'
Yahoo
2 hours ago
- Yahoo
Clutch Kupcho ends near three-year LPGA drought
Jennifer Kupcho has closed with an eight-foot birdie putt in light rain to hold off Ilhee Lee in the LPGA Classic, ending a drought of nearly three years without winning. Kupcho, whose four Tour titles include a major at the Chevron Championship, birdied three of the last five holes in New Jersey for a five-under 66. She took the lead with a 20-foot birdie putt from just off the green on the 14th, and avoided a playoff with the putt on 18. Lee was the 36-hole leader going into the final round on a rain-soaked Bay Course at Seaview Hotel, so drenched that the par-3 17th was moved up to play only 76 yards. The South Korean finished with five birdies on the back nine for a 68, but it wasn't enough to catch Kupcho. Kupcho finished at 15-under 198 in one of only two LPGA events contested over 54 holes. Jennifer Kupcho's walk off birdie for her first win in three seasons 🔥🏆 — LPGA (@LPGA) June 8, 2025 "I think in my mind I had set on 14 under, so I was really just trying to get to that number," the 28-year-old American said. "Obviously did a little better. Yeah, just feels really nice. Just kind of stayed in my zone the whole time." The 36-year-old Lee won her only LPGA title 12 years ago in the Bahamas on a course shortened to 12 holes because of historic rain. But she had played only 18 times in the last seven years, finishing off her college degree, working briefly and now a part-time golf teacher. "I worked for Financial Forum for 100 days and then got out," the world No.1426, who got into the field as a past tournament winner, said. "Then I realise, 'Oh, I'm good at golf.' So I got to teach golf. I started teaching a little bit, not full-time, but I was teaching a little bit and I loved it. I absolutely loved it. "So since then I was teaching a little bit and playing at the same time and rehabbing, more treatment on my shoulder and back and ankle. I still have few students waiting for me in LA so I get to see them next week." Kupcho gets a much-needed win after going without a trophy after her three-win 2022 season. "It just feels amazing," she said. "I think I struggled a lot early in the year and had a lot of tough weeks, a lot of hard conversations, and it feels good." South Korea's Sei Young Kim (65) was the third-place finisher, three strokes behind Kupcho. View this post on Instagram A post shared by LPGA Tour (@lpga_tour) Japan's Ayaka Furue (70) was fourth at 11 under while six golfers tied for fifth at 10 under: South Korea's Jin Hee Im (68), Spain's Azahara Munoz (68), Germany's Aline Krauter (68), Japan's Mao Saigo (71), Miyu Yamashita (69) and Taiwan's Wei-Ling Hsu (69). World No.1 Nelly Korda (68) tied for 15th at eight under. Australia's Roby Choi, who started the final round three shots off the lead, carded a 70 to finish nine under and joint 11th. With Reuters & AAP.
