Lim Jin-hee and Lee So-mi are once again showcasing their stellar chemistry as they defend their team title. The pair will compete at the LPGA Tour's Dow Championship, which opens Wednesday at Midland Country Club (par 70) in Midland, Michigan.
Launched in 2019, the Dow Championship is the only team competition on the LPGA Tour, pairing two players to compete together. This year, total prize money of $3.3 million (about 5.1 billion won) is at stake. A total of 144 players will compete in pairs of two.
The first and third rounds use foursomes format, in which two players alternate hitting a single ball, while the second and fourth rounds use four-ball format, in which two players each play their own ball and the better score counts as the team's result.
Last year at this event, Lim Jin-hee and Lee So-mi tied with the duo of Lexi Thompson and Megan Khang (both U.S.), then made a birdie in the playoff to each savor the joy of their first LPGA Tour victory. The Lim Jin-hee-Lee So-mi pair was the first Korean players to win the Dow Championship. Last week at the U.S. Women's Open, Lim Jin-hee and Lee So-mi finished tied for 19th and tied for 40th, respectively.
The pairings are also a point of interest. World No. 1 Nelly Korda (U.S.) has teamed up with her close friend Olivia Cowan (Germany). Korda, who has displayed top form this season with four wins, is determined to deliver a victory to Cowan, who has yet to win on the LPGA Tour. Whether Choi Hye-jin, paired with Kim Hyo-joo, can achieve her first LPGA win is also drawing attention.
LPGA Hall of Fame inductee and 31-time winner Julie Inkster (U.S.), a "65-year-old veteran," is also competing. In her first appearance this season, she will partner with Angel Yin (U.S.), whom she has long mentored. The sisters Iwai Akie-Iwai Chisato (both Japan) and the Tsutanugarn sisters Moriya-Ariya (both Thailand), who won this event in 2021, are also taking part. The pair of Lee Jeong-eun5 and Lee Jeong-eun6, who share the same name, also draws attention.
