“It’s something I really, really wanted,” said Lauren Coughlin with an exuberant smile slowly spreading across her face. Coughlin had reasons to have that broad smile. After almost three decades, an American is representing the country at the Solheim Cup in her home state. The last was Tammie Green in the 1998 iteration at Muirfield Village. But then Coughlin was not sure if she could make it.

“I felt like I was putting a lot of pressure on myself at least at the beginning of the year,” the Charlottesville resident told Inside Nova. However, as the season progressed and the battle for a Solheim Cup spot became tougher, Coughlin started getting more and more ruthless on the greens. Two wins and a handful of top-tens later, she was in. As the 31-year-old prepares for her Solheim Cup debut, let’s look at the five matches that made all the difference.

The Chevron Championship top-three finish

With her husband looping for her, Lauren Coughlin bagged the first-round lead at the Chevron Championship. However, as the match progressed Nelly Korda came on hot and fast. She carded three back-to-back rounds of 69, whereas Coughlin’s two rounds above 70 meant she slipped from the top spot. A final-round 68 wasn’t enough, as she tied for third. But it was just an early glimpse of what was to come.

The Amundi Evian kickstarted a hot stretch of golf

The Amundi Evian tested the American icons. They fumbled on the shores of Lake Geneva. Not Lauren Coughlin. Although she started slow on Saturday, Coughlin picked up speed later in the round. Two eagles and two birdies moved her up to the second spot. On the final day, the 31-year-old grabbed a share of the lead. But two late bogeys devastated her day as she had to settle for a solo fourth at the end of 72 holes.

Lauren Coughlin bounces back in Canada

Two weeks after the Evian heartbreak, Coughlin showed her true colors in Canada: that she was not one to bow down to fate. The thrilling final round boiled down to a three-way race to the top with two holes left to play. But among the trio, Hae Ran Ryu’s bogey on the 16th gave Coughlin an edge. She capitalized on that on the very next hole to take a two-shot lead. Mao Saigo’s late charge crumbled when she bogeyed to drop to 11-under. Lauren Coughlin needed a birdie putt to seal her maiden LPGA Tour victory in her 103rd start. She made no mistake. 

Three back-to-back top-tens for Lauren Coughlin

Safe to say, the Portland Classic was a hotly contested event. There was a three-way tie for second place as well as for fifth place. Coughlin’s aim was to move up in the Solheim Cup standings. A top ten was good, but a victory was better. Moriya Jutanugarn left no room for that, however. Coughlin managed to stay under par throughout four rounds, but that was not enough. Eventually, the two-time LPGA Tour winner settled for a T9.

The moment Lauren Coughlin sealed a victory and then some

At Dundoland Links, Coughlin was dialed in. There were threats, mostly from her compatriot Megan Khang, who was tied for the lead for a stretch on Sunday. Then Olympic silver medalist Esther Henseleit was chasing her. But Coughlin pulled away with a stretch of spectacular golf in the last five holes, which she played at 3-under par. The American International carded 15-under through conceding just four bogeys at Ayrshire, hitting 83% fairways and reaching 76% greens in regulation.

With that, she pulled herself inside the top six automatic qualifiers for the U.S. Solheim Cup team. “It’s pretty wild,” the Chesapeake resident said later. But it’s her manager’s words that sum it up best. “I have a drinking problem because LC has been hitting so many top 10s that I’ve actually had to I toast every time she creates a top 10.” Lauren Coughlin was clearly not done. She netted another top-10 at the recently concluded FM Championship.