LPGA Tour: Lauren Coughlin makes history with nine consecutive birdies and front-nine 26 at Walmart NW Arkansas Championship
Yuna Nishimura takes a five-shot lead into the final day at the Walmart NW Arkansas Championship; Lauren Coughlin fired nine consecutive birdies and made LPGA Tour history during her second-round 61; watch the final round live on Sunday from 7pm on Sky Sports+
Sunday 27 September 2026 00:37, UK
English trio Charley Hull, Lottie Woad and Jodi Ewart Shadoff sit six shots off the lead heading into the final day of the Walmart NW Arkansas Championship, where Lauren Coughlin made LPGA Tour history.
Coughlin became the first player ever on the LPGA Tour to open a round with nine consecutive birdies, seeing her race to the turn in 26 at Pinnacle Country Club and card the lowest nine-hole total ever on the circuit.
The American - who started her second round on the back nine - ended her streak with a par at the first and then failed to take advantage of the par-five next, only to birdie the par-three third and raise hopes of the first '59 round' on the LPGA Tour since 2001.
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Annika Sorenstam's record remains safe after Coughlin closed her 10-under 61 with six consecutive pars, lifting her to eight under and eight shots behind leader Yuna Nishimura in Arkansas.
"I was making a lot of those mid-range putts," Coughlin explained. "I hit everything pretty much inside 12 feet on my whole front nine. My longest putt might've been the 17th, which was probably about 15 feet or so.
"Other than that, everything just seemed to be going exactly how far I wanted it to, right at the hole and I was putting really good putts on them. Couldn't quite get it close enough (to a '59 round') unfortunately those last few holes."
Nishimura carded a second successive 63 to move to 16 under and take a five-shot lead into the final day over Auston Kim, Mary Liu and Michelle Zhang, with Hull, Woad and Ewart Shadoff part of the logjam sharing fifth of 10 under.
Ewart Shadoff birdied her first three holes on her way to a second-round 66 and Woad mixed six birdies with one bogey to post the same score, while Hull carded a bogey-free 67 to also stay in the chasing pack.
Former AIG Women's Open champion Miyu Yamashita is in the group on nine under containing Julia Lopez Ramirez, part of Europe's victorious Solheim Cup team earlier this month, while Mimi Rhodes and Leona Maguire were among the players to miss the cut.
Who will win the Walmart NW Arkansas Championship? Watch the final round live on Sunday from 7pm on Sky Sports+. Get the latest Sky Sports deals or stream with no contract.
