CALGARY, Alberta — Chesapeake native Lauren Coughlin relinquished first place Saturday despite her best score of the week at the CPKC Women’s Open, but she was just one stroke off the lead entering Sunday’s final round. Mao Saigo emerged from the wildfire-fed smoky haze Saturday at Earl Grey Golf Club with the lowest round in the tournament’s history. Five hours later, Haeran Ryu and Coughlin found themselves well clear of the rest of the field.
Coughlin, 31, a former Hickory High star and Atlantic Coast Conference individual champion for Virginia, is seeking her first LPGA Tour title. Coughlin, the leader after each of the first two rounds, shot 66. She is coming off a fourth-place finish two weeks ago in France in the major Evian Champions.
“Hung in there for sure,” Coughlin said. “She (Ryu) was making everything there to start, so I was just trying to stay in my own bubble and not get too into what she was doing.” Taking advantage of calmer conditions after two windy days, Saigo shot an 11-under 61 to jump from a tie for 46th to a tie for third — five strokes behind Ryu and four behind Coughlin on the tree-lined course with thick rough and small greens.
Saigo said through a translator, “I’m very proud of myself because that was the best round probably since I started playing golf. The wind wasn’t blowing much, so I was trying to make birdies on par-5s and try to keep my strengths with my iron shots.” The 22-year-old Japanese player — an LPGA Tou.