Q. All right, joining me here today after the second round of The ANNIKA driven by Gainbridge at Pelican is Lauren Coughlin. You're bogey-free through the first two rounds. Can you just talk about how you have been minimizing mistakes out there?
LAUREN COUGHLIN: Yeah, this golf course is very difficult, but I've been managing it really well, missing in a lot of really good places where I'm either chipping uphill into the green or having pretty basic up and downs. I've also capitalized and made some good five-, six-footers as well to save par.
But overall, this is one of my favorite golf courses and I feel like probably one of the ones I've played most out here, and so I feel like I have a really good game plan and was able to execute pretty well, too.
Q. Is there something specific about the setup that you think suits your game or do you think your experience just helps you?
LAUREN COUGHLIN: I think you have to really control your misses a lot and like really control where you -- really just control where you miss on this golf course. I think that's what I'm really good at, and making sure that I'm not only thinking about it in the right sense, but also controlling my golf ball and hitting it where I'm trying to hit it the majority of the time.
I think that's just why I'm super good at it out here.
Q. You were named as LPGA player director yesterday. Talk about what that means to you and what you're looking forward to during your term.
LAUREN COUGHLIN: Yeah, I'm a little nervous to be honest. Feel like I put myself out there a little bit. I'm typically someone that wants to stay in the background.
I thought I would provide a really unique perspective just kind of my ups and downs in my career and where I started to where I am now.
So I thought that it would be kind of cool to get a chance to be a part of that and get to see behind the scenes how we run this Tour.
Yeah, I'm really excited. A little nervous but really, really excited and honored that my fellow players voted me.
Q. You and Lindy Duncan have that in common, and are now both player directors. What does it mean to share this experience with her knowing you're both kind of those journeywomen out here?
LAUREN COUGHLIN: Yeah, I mean, I've known Lindy for a really long time. We've kind of gone back and forth, similar. She's a little bit older than me, but overall had a pretty similar journey I would say.
So it's pretty cool that we're going to do it together. She's so smart and that Duke education, again, I'm just really looking forward to it. Really grateful to be on it.
Q. I feel like I remember every year talking to you right when you finished at 100 in 2021 and that kind of helped start your uptick.
LAUREN COUGHLIN: Yeah.
Q. Do you ever come back here and think about that moment and how pivotal that was for your golf career?
LAUREN COUGHLIN: Yeah. I can still tell you almost exactly where I was on the 18th fairway when I hit the shot on the final round. I can still picture it. You know, again I think that's why this place is so special to me, because it means a lot.
First time I didn't have to go to Q-School was playing here. Having to Monday into this event and then having my best finish on Tour that week to move from 106 to 97, and so, yeah it's really special to me.
Again, it's just like a really fun golf course. My dad comes because my grandmother lives in Sarasota. It's a fun event and one of my favorite stops on Tour all year.
Q. Obviously have some confidence. Really strong first two rounds. How do you build on this going into the weekend in contention?
LAUREN COUGHLIN: Yeah, I feel like I left a lot out there to be honest. Hit the ball really, really well. Just gave myself a lot of 12-, 15-footers, which statistically you're not going to make a ton.
Just felt like, man, if I could just get a couple more would've been a really -- not that today wasn't a good day, but it could have been like a really so special day.
Yeah, just going to go work on some putting and enjoy the rest of the afternoon.
FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports