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Washington Post
07-04-2025
- Sport
- Washington Post
Sagstrom beats Coughlin 1-up in T-Mobile Match Play to end 5-year drought on LPGA Tour
NORTH LAS VEGAS, Nev. — The five-year wait to end her LPGA Tour victory drought appeared to be a matter of time when Madelene Sagstrom went 4-up just six holes into the final of the T-Mobile Match Play. Then it nearly got away from her, and Sagstrom even briefly fell behind at one point. She righted herself, however, as Lauren Coughlin struggled down the stretch, for a 1-up victory Sunday at a Shadow Creek course that proved a difficult challenge for both players. Sagstrom took the lead for good with a par at the par-5 16th hole. Coughlin made a double bogey on the hole. Perhaps it was a fitting when the world's top-ranked players fell one after another at the picturesque but demanding course that someone ranked 67th claimed the $300,000 winner's share. The Swede's other win came in 2020 at the Gainbridge LPGA at Boca Rio. 'I thought last week, 'Am I ever going to play good golf again?'' Sagstrom said. 'As professional golfers, it's (a) very rewarding job when it goes well, but extremely difficult when it's tough and I've questioned myself a lot in my career. Am I good enough to play against these girls? Am I going to be one of the best players in the world? I've always had the ambition to be, but then I never know really.' The final match reached the 18th green for the first time the 5-year-old event. In a battle of 32-year-olds, Sagstrom had a four-hole lead after just six holes when Coughlin bogeyed No. 2 and she rolled off three consecutive birdies beginning at No. 4. But then the match changed, with a suddenly shaky Sagstrom missing off the tee and failing to navigate the lightning-quick greens that took even well-struck approach shots into the rough. 'It's a wonderful golf course, but it will test your whole game,' Sagstrom said. 'Unless we play match play here, I can see this being a U.S. Open course. It's such a good golf course that challenges you from putting, strategy, from everything. What surprises me the most is this oasis of a golf course that just sits here. It's like you come in here and you're in a little different world.' Couglin claimed five of the next six holes to take the lead. Though she did her part with a pair of birdies, Coughlin also didn't have to do anything spectacular as Sagstrom carded three bogeys and two doubles over that stretch. Then Coughlin bogeyed the par-3 13th, and Sagstrom made par to pull back even, which is where the match stood until the 16th. Both players failed to stay out of the rough, with Coughlin even twice chipping from about the same spot after the ball rolled back on her. Coughlin finally conceded the hole after her 30-foot putt went well past and the double bogey put Sagstrom back in the lead. 'That's the challenge of this golf course and why it's both fun and extremely difficult at the same time,' Coughlin said. 'You can hit some really cool shots off some banks and stuff, but also if you get on the wrong side of those, it's really, really tough. It's hard to judge, like when is the ball starting to go far? And then when is it not going far anymore?' Coughlin, ranked 17th, has been a tough out all tournament. She played in at least 18 holes in every match, a total of 127 compared to 72 for a traditional stroke-play tournament. Coughlin was 3-down in her previous two matches before rallying to win, including a 1-up victory over Ariya Jutanugarn in the semifinals Sunday morning. 'I don't think I ran out of gas at all,' Coughlin said. 'I feel like the adrenaline kept me through all day, all day yesterday. Felt worse yesterday afternoon than I did today, actually. I just kind of lost it there a little bit at the end. Just didn't get any putts to go. Other than that, I feel like I played really, really good golf today.' Sagstrom has been pushed to the limits as well. She survived a 19-hole round-of-16 match against Carlota Ciganda on Saturday and then had to wait more than two hours as Celine Boutier and Ashleigh Buhai went at it over 28 holes. Then it became another marathon of a match as Sagstrom and Boutier were tied through 17 as darkness set in. The match was suspended, and Sagstrom finished up early Sunday morning with a 19th-hole quarterfinals victory. Sagstrom then took out 12th-ranked Angel Yin 4 and 2 in the semifinals. Coughlin was seeking her first victory since the Scottish Open in August. The Charlottesville, Virginia, resident has two career victories, both last year. ___ AP golf:
NBC Sports
07-04-2025
- Sport
- NBC Sports
Madelene Sagstrom loses 4-up lead, bounces back to win T-Mobile Match Play
NORTH LAS VEGAS, Nev. — Madelene Sagstrom ended more than a five-year LPGA Tour victory drought, overcoming the loss of a four-hole lead at difficult Shadow Creek in a 1-up victory over Lauren Coughlin on Sunday in the T-Mobile Match Play final. Sagstrom took the lead for good with a par at the par-5 16th hole. Coughlin made a double bogey on the hole. Perhaps it was a fitting when the world's top-ranked players fell one after another at the picturesque but demanding course that a ranked 67th claimed the $300,000 winner's share. The Swede's other win came in 2020 at the Gainbridge LPGA at Boca Rio. The final match reached the 18th green for the first time the 5-year-old event. In a battle of 32-year-olds, Sagstrom had a four-hole lead after just six holes when Coughlin bogeyed No. 2 and the Swede rolled off three consecutive birdies beginning at No. 4. But then the match changed, with a suddenly shaky Sagstrom missing off the tee and failing to navigate the lightning-quick greens that took even well-struck approach shots into the rough. Coughlin claimed five of the next six holes to take the lead. Though she did her part with a pair of birdies, Coughlin also didn't have to do anything spectacular as Sagstrom carded three bogeys and two doubles over that stretch. Then Coughlin bogeyed the par-3 13th, and Sagstrom made par to pull back even, which is where the match stood until the 16th. Both players failed to stay out of the rough, with Coughlin even twice chipping from about the same spot after the ball rolled back on her. Coughlin finally conceded the hole after her 30-foot putt went well past and the double bogey put Sagstrom back in the lead. Coughlin, ranked 17th, has been a tough out all tournament. She played in at least 18 holes in every match, a total of 127 compared to 72 for a traditional stroke-play tournament. Coughlin was 3-down in her previous two matches before rallying to win, including a 1-up victory over Ariya Jutanugarn in the semifinals Sunday morning. Sagstrom had been pushed to the limits as well. She survived a 19-hole round-of-16 match against Carlota Ciganda on Saturday and then had to wait more than two hours as Celine Boutier and Ashleigh Buhai went at it over 28 holes. Then it became another marathon of a match as Sagstrom and Boutier were tied through 17 as darkness set in. The match was suspended, and Sagstrom finished up early Sunday morning with a 19th-hole quarterfinals victory. Sagstrom then took out 12th-ranked Angel Yin, 4 and 2, in the semifinals. Coughlin was seeking her first victory since the Scottish Open in August. The Charlottesville, Virginia, resident has two career victories, both last year.
Associated Press
06-04-2025
- Sport
- Associated Press
Sagstrom to face Coughlin in T-Mobile Match Play final at Shadow Creek
NORTH LAS VEGAS, Nev. (AP) — Madelene Sagstrom again needed extra holes — as did her opponent, Celine Boutier — to advance Sunday in the T-Mobile Match Play and then made the final with a more conventional 4 and 2 victory over Angel Yin. Sagstrom was scheduled to play Lauren Coughlin in the afternoon for the title at Shadow Creek. The pairing guarantees there will still not be a repeat winner in this 5-year-old tournament. Sagstrom's match against Boutier was suspended Saturday because of darkness with the players tied through 17 holes. Their match began late after Sagstrom defeated Carlota Ciganda in 19 holes. It took Boutier 28 holes to finally dispose of Ashleigh Buhai. The two resumed play early Sunday morning with Sagstrom recording a birdie on the par-4 19th hole to advance. 'We were talking about it last night because I had to sit and wait for them to finish their marathon of a playoff,' Sagstrom said. 'I was like, 'Do I want to be in their shoes or do I want to be in my shoes?' You never know. This morning I definitely felt like I was awake. I had already warmed up. I was ready to go out again, so I probably think it was a little bit of an advantage.' Sagstrom then took out 12th-ranked Yin in the semifinals. Yin was the highest-ranked player in the semifinals and one of two Americans. The other was Coughlin, who advanced to the final with a 1-up victory over Ariya Jutanugarn. Coughlin rallied over the final two holes, with Jutanugarn 1-up before going 3-over par over on the 17th and 18th. Coughlin finished par-birdie to advance. 'I've been lucky that 17 has been a really good number for me all week,' Coughlin said. 'I'm not fighting between clubs because it's a really small green. I think I've just started to get into a groove and just get really focused there towards the end. I've just gotten everything seemed to go my way there at the end.' Coughlin, 32, is ranked 17th in the world and seeks her first victory since the Scottish Open in August. The Charlottesville, Virginia, resident has two career victories, both occurring last year. Sagstrom, 32, is hoping to win for the second time. The Swede is ranked 67th and last won in 2020 at the Gainbridge LPGA at Boca Rio.
USA Today
30-01-2025
- Entertainment
- USA Today
As the LPGA turns 75, Nelly Korda looks to make more history of her own
As the LPGA turns 75, Nelly Korda looks to make more history of her own ORLANDO, Fla. – Nelly Korda took off about seven days after her historic 2024 before getting back to work. She went to Utah and tried new things, like dogsledding, which she said was fun but probably a one-and-done. She spent time in her Florida kitchen, whipping up goulash and fresh fish dinners with roasted asparagus, a sprinkling of garlic and parmesan cheese. The world No. 1 basked in the everyday things that she doesn't take for granted. 'Spending time around family always kind of reenergizes my batteries,' Korda said. For these next two weeks, at least, it's back to the grind of carrying a tour on her statuesque frame. Korda begins the weighty task of following up a six-win season at the Hilton Grand Vacations Tournament of Champions Jan. 30-Feb. 2 before defending her title back home in Bradenton, Florida. She'll then have a prolonged break as she once again skips the spring Asia swing. On Wednesday, the LPGA unveiled a special logo in celebration of its 75th anniversary. The milestone comes in the midst of uncertainty, however, as the tour searches for its 10th commissioner. To her credit, Korda raised her hand during the offseason, offering to be part of the process. While not on the official search committee, she will be included in a less formal way. The buy-in of the No. 1 player in the world, particularly one with the potential transcending star power of Korda, is crucial for whoever next takes the reins. Korda's spectacular 2024 run actually began the week after the TOC, but she's had great success at Lake Nona, having won the 2021 Gainbridge LPGA over the Tom Fazio design. LPGA players who have won events over the past two seasons qualify for the season-opener, which features a $2 million purse. In addition to the 32 LPGA players, 49 celebrities and amateurs will compete in a modified Stableford format for a separate purse of $500,000. Korda has made a number of close friends over the years at this event, and typically requests to play with the likes of country music singer Chris Lane and World Series champions Derek Lowe and Kevin Millar. She'll play Thursday's opening round alongside Lowe and LPGA legend Annika Sorenstam, who is once again part of the celebrity field. As comfortable as Korda is here, it's nothing like world No. 2 Lydia Ko who, like Sorenstam, actually lives inside the gates at Lake Nona. Ko didn't win as much as Korda last season, but she made up for it with style, scripting her own unforgettable season with victories at the Paris Olympics and the Old Course at St. Andrews. The former put her into the LPGA Hall of Fame, while the latter gave her a third major championship title at the AIG Women's British Open. She's now eyeing the career grand slam. 'Some people said you achieved it all, why do you still want to do it?' said Ko. 'I still feel like there is so much golf ahead and things that I want to improve on as a golfer.' Seven LPGA players are making their tournament debut this week, including former No. 1 Jin Young Ko, Hannah Green and Minjee Lee. With the LPGA traditionally beginning its season in Florida for a couple weeks before heading to Asia, it's not unusual for international players to skip the opening swing. The tour's 1-in-4 rule, however, compels them to eventually make their way to every domestic event once every four years to avoid a hefty fine of $25,000. Actor Don Cheadle is among a number of celebrities making their first appearance. The two-time Grammy Award winner and two-time Golden Globe winner lives around the corner from Riviera Country Club and met 27-year-old Lydia Ko for the first time in New Zealand when she was 15 years old. The pair immediately hit it off and have kept in touch over the years, recently having dinner together in Scottsdale. 'Every time she's about to play we text,' said Cheadle, 'and every time after a round, I text her.' Ko and Cheadle will play the first round together alongside actor Michael Pena, Cheadle's co-star in the Amazon film, 'Unstoppable.' 'If I just don't embarrass myself, I think that will be a win,' said Cheadle, a self-described range rat who carries a handicap of seven. Other first-time celebrities in the field include actor Anthony Anderson, Women's World Cup champion Brandi Chastain and NBA all-star Blake Griffin.
