Texas’s Woodlands — John Pond was pleading with Lauren Coughlin, his wife, to allow him to be her full-time caddie.
Over the years, the former football player for the University of Virginia had caddied for his significant other “off and on,” the most recent instance being at a 2023 U.S. Women’s Open qualifier. Things were set up for Pond to take over Coughlin’s bag after the former’s separation from her longtime caddie following the Blue Bay LPGA in China in March.
Coughlin stated on Thursday, “He had just quit his job to come out with me full-time.” “Alright, Palos Verdes, I’ll have you caddie for me. After that, I’ll just see who I can get.” I said, “All right, give me these three weeks.” After three weeks, I’ll know if we can pull it off.
[19/04/2024, 11:49 p.m.] Cephas: The pair’s first outing of the three-week trial was not entirely successful; Coughlin finished outside the money at the T-Moblie Match Play and Seri Pak Championship, but she did manage to secure her fourth career top-10 with a T8 at the Ford Championship.
[19 April 2024, 11:51 p.m.] Cephas: Pond is looping this week for his wife in the first major of the year at the Chevron Championship, suggesting that he passed the test after taking a week off. At The Club at Carlton Woods on Thursday, Coughlin blasted a bogey-free 66 to take an early lead, suggesting that the husband and wife relationship was working well together.
Nobody knows me better than him, so he just needs to kind of keep me calm and collected when I’m out there and try not to get ahead of myself or get too worked up over things that have happened in the past, Coughlin said. “I’m confident he can accomplish whatever I ask of him. More simply put, we haven’t spent a lot of time together, so it’s just like, “Can I do that? Can I have the boundaries that we need to have so that it’s not just about me and my golf game all the time? Of course, I appreciate that he cares so much, but it’s just like I don’t always love it.”
Pond had recently abandoned his job to go on tour full-time with his wife, so Coughlin had started looking for a new caddy. According to her, he has been assisting her with vacation plans and other things in somewhat of a “managerial role.”
One shot ahead of the Chevron Championship is made by Nelly Korda.
As she pursues history, Nelly Korda talks about Chevron and says, “Kind of our Caitlin Clark.”
There are further advantages.
“[We] can travel the world and do a lot of really cool things while we still have the chance, and we can spend more time doing it,” Coughlin stated. “We could do it, and it wouldn’t put too much burden on our finances or anything like that. I was lucky enough to be in that position.
“Worst case scenario: I can go back and get a job again if we don’t like it after a year,” he would often say.
Coughlin began play in the first group of the day on the back nine on Thursday. For the most part of the day, their group led the way, but when they caught the final morning wave group off No. 1, they came to a “standstill” on their 15th hole, the sixth.
Pond’s husband showed his worth at that point.
She remarked, “I think I got a little out of rhythm there.” However, he said, “Hey, it’s okay, we’re not in a hurry, so you don’t have to try to go too fast or anything.”