Sweden’s Madelene Sagstrom ended a five-year title drought in the T-Mobile Match Play presented by MGM Rewards, beating American Lauren Coughlin in yesterday’s final at Shadow Creek.
Sagstrom captured her second victory on the LPGA Tour by edging Coughlin 1-up in the deciding match, after both players had won their semifinal matches earlier in the day. Sagstrom overwhelmed another American, Angel Yin, 4&2 in her semifinal encounter, while Coughlin fought her way past former world number one Ariya Jutanugarn of Thailand 1-up.
The championship match saw Sagstrom storm to a 4-up lead after six holes, but Coughlin fought her way back into the match by winning holes seven, eight and nine. The American won holes 11 and 12 with pars to lead by one with six holes remaining, but a bogey at the par-three 13th allowed her opponent to square the match.
Sagstrom took a 1-up lead after winning the par-five 16th hole with a par, and the Swede hung on to seal the win.
“I really struggled quite a lot, especially with my driver, at the end of last year, and I worked so hard with Callaway and my coach, Hans. I feel so comfortable standing over the ball at the moment and, most of the time, it comes out nice. It's such a nice feeling,” said Sagstrom, whose only previous LPGA Tour win came at the Gainbridge LPGA at Boca Rio back in 2020.
Sagstrom had to play 36 holes on Sunday, as her quarterfinal match against France’s Celine Boutier was suspended after 17 holes due to fading light the day before. The Swede won on the first extra hole on Sunday morning to book her spot in the semifinals.
“I played pretty well last week and didn't make the cut. It's a fantastic feeling, knowing that all the hard work really did pay off,” noted Sagstrom.
Sagstrom is the first European winner of the T-Mobile Match Play presented by MGM Rewards and, at 32 years, 4 months and 24 days, is the oldest winner on the LPGA Tour in 2025. This was her fourth appearance at the event, with a quarterfinal performance in 2022 being her previous best result. The US$300,000 winner’s purse took Sagstrom’s LPGA Tour career earnings to US$4,845,546.
While disappointed to fall just short of earning her third career LPGA Tour title, Coughlin was pleased with the way she fought. “I think it's just who I am as a player, a grinder, and I fought all the way to the end. I don't feel like I played my best golf this week, and I still almost won. I think there's a lot of positives I can take away,” said the 32-year-old, whose last LPGA Tour victory came at the 2024 ISPS HANDA Women’s Scottish Open.
Defending champion and world number one Nelly Korda of the United States was among the players who failed to progress from the round-robin group stage.
Following a one-week break, the LPGA Tour heads to Los Angeles, California, for the JM Eagle LA Championship presented by Plastpro at El Caballero Country Club.
