Chasing Pars Golf Podcast

(Ep 139) Lauren Coughlin

In this latest Player Interview I am joined by LPGA Tour player & current World Rank Number 56 Lauren Coughlin as we talk through her stellar start to 2024 with 3 Top 10's and 8 Top 25's amassed already including a LPGA career best finish of T3rd at the first Major of the year at Chevron Championship where Lauren was First Round Leader after shooting a 66! She's followed that performance at Chevron with a T8th at Ford Championship and T9th at LPGA ShopRite Classic. We find out how she has found more consistency within her game at the top level which she puts down to improvement with the Putting all year! 
Lauren is a 3x Virginia Amateur Champion & won the 2016 ACC Individual title in College at University of Arizona where she has resided since 10 years old! Lauren turned professional in 2016 starting off on the Symetra Tour (Epson) with not much success at the start but things changed in 2018 after winning a LPGA Tour Card at LPGA Final Quali Tournament finishing T7th to gain status on Tour, while making a cross over back to the Symetra Tour Lauren would win the 2018 PHC Classic by a shot to Dottie Ardina as a result Lauren would make her Major Championship debut appareance at Evian Championship! 
We also talk about last week's Dow Championship pairs event with Bailey Tardy, Lauren's hopes of representing Team USA at Solheim Cup this year in her home state, find out why she is massively looking forward to AiG Womens Open at St Andrews in August! Lauren is also sponsored by the guys from No Laying Up Podcast after the opportunity arisen in 2019!
A brilliant chat with a down to earth lovely person. Thanks Lauren!
I hope you enjoy this great episode! 
 
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(Ep 138 KPMG PGA Championship (with TerrordactylGB)

After an unbelievable US Open at Pinehurst #2 which seen Bryson DeChambeau play the bunker shot of his life to 4 foot to become a 2x US Open Champion at the expense of Rory McIlroy who yet again let another Major Championship slip away missing 2 3 footers in the last 3 holes, that is now 21 Top 10s in Majors since 2014 for Rory will he win one again?
In this episode I am joined by Kevin (@TerrordactylGB on Twitter) to deep dive through a sublime golf course this week at Sahalee Country Club in Washington for this week's 3rd Major of the Year on the LPGA for KPMG PGA Championship where Ruoning Yin won at a tough Baltusrol last year! This Ted Robinson/Rees Jones beauty is a tough test with many large trees surrounding the property and mega narrow Fairways pinning more on Driving Accuracy & Off the Tee. We discuss the favourites, fades & go over our picks for this week's test in Washington!
Thanks to Kevin for taking time out to come on!
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(Ep 137) US Open Championship (with Chris Callow)

It's the 3rd Major of the Year this week for the US Open Championship at the iconic Pinehurst Number 2! This truly great Donald Ross design measuring 7,500 yards with a Par 70 this week is a true brute of a Golf Course with absolutely lightning fast Greens for this week set for Pinehurst. Craig & Chris Callow @shallowcalgolf deep dive into the odds board where we discuss who can potentially put in the greatest threat to the Undeniable Best Player in Planet Golf in Scottie Scheffler! Could we see a shock winner this week or will it be a formality for the Number 1 player?
Find out who we like and dislike for this week for a proper classical US Open! This should be phenomenal
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(Ep 136) The US Women's Open (with Scott Mader)

We have arrived at the 2nd Major of the year in the Women's game this week as the players head to Pennsylvania for the 79th US Women's Open at the fantastic Lancaster Country Club! It is the 2nd time that the US Women's Open has been hosted at this William Flynn classic design where it hosted the tournament in 2015 where a 20 year old In Gee Chun would win the first of her 3 Majors and maintains a special affiliation with Lancaster! 
With Nelly Korda winning 6 out of her last 8 events including the first major of the year at Chevron beating Maja Stark it is easy to see how it could take a mammoth effort to stop Nelly winning another major and making it 7 wins in 9 but we are here to guide you through some of the best other players! 
Craig is joined by Scott Mader (@BJays 129) on Twitter to discuss who can mount a serious challenge to Nelly in Pennsylvania this week on a course that demands high Greens in Reg/Par 4 Scoring/Approach/Driving Acc with multiple elevation changes, angles of shots/tiny greens & Conestoga River flowing through the course, this US Open should be an interesting viewing to see who can mastermind a strategy of such a stern test. Who has the patience to win a US Women's Open title? 
Thanks to Scott for coming on with me to chat who we fancybwith a couple of regular plays in both cards! 
 
I'd like to say if you are struggling with anything related to Mental Health please reach out to someone it will make the world of good! I hope Grayson Murray had found inner peace, a truly tragic story! R.I.P Grayson Murray!
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(Ep 135) Soudal Open & Charles Schwab Challenge (with GolfNutter3)

In what was a pretty unforgettable PGA Championship at Valhalla for the good & all of the bad reasons it was Xander Schauffele who had ice in his veins to win a first major title at a record setting -21 to defeat a fired up Bryson DeChambeau by a shot to claim The Wanamaker Trophy while on the LPGA Tour Nelly Korda made it 6 wins from last 7 starts by beating Hannah Green by a shot at Liberty National for Mizuho Americas Open an event that seen no more than 10 withdrawals last week.
In this episode I am joined by Nigel (@GolfNutter3) on X (Twitter) to discuss the fall outfrom Kentucky, we talk Scheffler arrest as well as talk the first event of the European Swing on DP World Tour at Rinkven International in Antwerp for Soudal Open where Jordan Smith & Adrian Otaegui Open up as joint favourites while in Texas on the PGA Tour we are at Colonial for Charles Schwab Challenge where Emiliano Grillo won at -8 in a Playoff. Scottie Scheffler is the 3/1 favourite with Collin Morikawa 14/1 2nd favourite. Listen in to see wo we both facy for the week this week!
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(Ep 134) PGA Championship & Mizuho Americas Open (with ShallowCal)

Hello & welcome to the 2nd Major Championship of the year for PGA Championship at Valhalla where we have an enthralling Major to look forward to with the 3 Golfing juggernauts of Scottie Scheffler, Rory McIlroy & Brooks Koepka all coming into this year's PGA Championship with a victory! We also have the generational talent Ludvig Åberg, the ever consistent Xander Schauffele & 2x Major Champion Jon Rahm looking to topple the mighty trio! 
I was joined by a friend of the show this week in Chris Callow (@shallowcalgolf) to give a detailed preview on what to expect at Valhalla this week while we give our thoughts and opinions on some of the best of the rest while in agreement with a couple of picks! Valhalla is a big boy very long golf course which should favour the bigger hitters but take that with a pinch of salt. 
On the LPGA Tour this week in the midst of an epic Rose Zhang/Madelene Sagstrom dual last week at Founders Cup where they were both 13 & 15 shots ahead of 3rd place Gabi Ruffels, the players are back for the 2nd year of Mizuho Americas Open at the epic Liberty National Golf Club. Craig dives over some of the information & has 5 picks this week while feeling fairly confident on an elite South Korean to go mighty close! 
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(Ep 133) ISPS Handa Championship - Japan

We are back this week to chat ISPS Handa Championship at Taiheiyo (Gotemba) course with the picturesque Mount Fuji in the backdrop as the DP World Tour returns after a break. We discuss the domination of the 2 World Number 1's Scottie Scheffler & Nelly Korda who have won 9 of their last 10 events together including 2 Majors in that time with Stephan Jaeger being the only player to win in that sequence in Texas.
Craig also has a bit of a discussion about the direct lack of coverage on the LPGA Tour recently even with a Major Championship last week at the Chevron Champs. 
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(Ep 132) Sophie Walker (LET)

In this episode I am joined by former Ladies European Tour pro & current LET co-commentator for Sky Sports Golf Sophie Walker!
We chat about Nelly Korda's dominance, the disappointing lack of LPGA Coverage, Lottie Woad's win at Augusta and what to expect from Lottie, Sophie's journey into the game and find out how she got into the role commentating on the LET alongside veteran broadcaster Richard Kaufman. 
With it being Masters week at Augusta this week & the first major of the year in the Women's game next week at Chevron Champs we discuss who could go well for them.
Sophie was a great guest & I enjoyed chatting with her! Hopefully have her back on the pod at another point into time! 
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(Ep 131) The Masters Preview

It's that time of year again it's the Azaleas, it's Pimento Cheese Sandwiches, it's AUGUSTA NATIONAL. Craig is rejoined by Craig Edwards to preview everything about this year's Masters tournament. Can anyone stop the relentless World number 1 Scottie Scheffler? We give you our picks and views on what is going to be an unpredictable Masters! 
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(Ep 130) James Nicholas

In this episode Craig is joined by new DP World Tour card holder for 2024 James Nicholas who phones in from New York after his first 5 events in Qatar/Kenya/South Africa & India after gaining DP World Tour card by a shot at Final Stage of DP World Tour Q School at Infinitum!
A student at Yale University, James turned professional at beginning of 2020 and made starts on the Korn Ferry Tour finishing with a best T13th at Lincoln Land Championship where he would also get a couple of invites on the PGA Tour at Rocket Mortgage Classic & Bermuda Championship. At Yale James openly admits that he was a late bloomer to Golf having been massively into Ice Hockey & Lacrosse but made the switch to Golf after falling out of love with American Football. 
In 2023 with no full time status on any tour James would Monday qualify into a couple of Korn Ferry Tour events at Magnit Championship & Albertsons Boise Open finishing T16th & T35th respectively. James would go to Q School for DP World Tour starting in Biarritz in France for First Stage, Isla Canela in Huelva, Spain for Second Stage before finishing T22nd at Final Stage at Infinitum Golf finishing -14 in total for 6 Rounds gaining a full DP World Tour card by a shot! 
A friendly & out going guy with a good swing and a good mentality to go far. Was great to chat with James. I hope he has a successful career.
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