Five teams to watch at Dow Championship, including stars Jeeno Thitikul and Ruoning Yin
When it comes to favorites at this week's Dow Championship, it's hard to look past the defending champs: Jeeno Thitikul and Ruoning Yin.
The sixth edition of the popular event features 72 teams competing at Midland Country Club for a $3.3 million purse. Four of the top five players in the world are in the field, with Thitikul (No. 2) and Yin (No. 4) actually paired together. They're one of three teams who have won it before back together in Michigan, joined by Cheyenne Knight/Elizabeth Szokol (2023) and Ariya/Moriya Jutanugarn (2021).
World No. 1 Nelly Korda is the only top-five player taking the week off. Fifth-ranked Haeran Ryu has teamed up with Rose Zhang.
The first and third rounds of the event will be played in the foursomes format (alternate shot), and the second and fourth rounds will be played in the four-ball (best ball) format.
The winning team receives a standard two-year winner's exemption on the LPGA priority list. Rolex Rankings, Player of the Year and Rookie of the Year points will not be allocated.
Here are five teams to watch:
Won together in their tournament debut last year. The pair of 22-year-old friends have 10 LPGA titles between them. In 2025, Thitikul has one win and seven top-10 finishes while Yin has three top 10s in 10 starts, including runner-up showings at both the Chevron Championship and Black Desert Championship.
The Iwai twins look to join the Jutanugarn sisters when it comes Dow team success. Chisato won earlier this season in Mexico at the Riviera Maya Open and has eight titles on the JLPGA. Akie, meanwhile, has six JLPGA titles and a pair of runner-up finishes on the LPGA this season. Akie is currently ranked 25th in the world while Chisato is 27th.
A team that first came together at the last minute at the 2023 Solheim Cup, Khang and Thompson went 2-0-0 in foursomes together in Spain. Thompson, now a part-time player on the LPGA, is playing her third week in a row in Midland, coming off two top-12 finishes. She partnered last year with Brooke Henderson and finished T-8.
A pair of Solheim Cup stalwarts who play on opposite teams will come together at Midland for the first time. Kupcho won the Dow with Lizette Salas in 2022 and finished runner-up last year with Ally Ewing. Kupcho, winner of the 2025 ShopRite LPGA, beat Maguire in a playoff three years ago at the Meijer LPGA Classic . At the 2021 Solheim Cup, Maguire defeated Kupcho in a pivotal singles match that set the tone in an eventual European victory.
Pair of Japanese stars are rookies in name only. Yamashita is a 13-time winner on the JLPGA, while Takeda is a two-time winner on the LPGA and eight-time winner in Japan. The pair combine to have 11 top-10 finishes this season on the LPGA.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
4 hours ago
- Yahoo
Caitlin Clark Shows Her Stardom With Big News on Monday
Caitlin Clark Shows Her Stardom With Big News on Monday originally appeared on Athlon Sports. There seems to be no end to the Caitlin Clark craze in the WNBA and across the sports world. The former Iowa star, who led the Hawkeyes to back-to-back NCAA Tournament title games, continues to make headlines in her second professional season. Advertisement After being selected first overall in the 2024 WNBA draft, Clark played 40 games last season and quickly became a nightly sensation. She earned the 2024 WNBA Rookie of the Year award thanks to her electric play, and impact on and off the court. Now in Year Two, Clark hasn't slowed down, even after missing seven games due to injury. She was recently named one of two captains for the upcoming WNBA All-Star Game, a sign of her continued influence in the league. The latest buzz? Shoes. "Caitlin Clark's new Kobe Player Edition shoe sold out in less than a minute,' as posted by Clark Report on X. Fans flooded online retailers trying to snag a pair, but most came up empty. The shoes' rapid sellout shows just how powerful Clark's brand has become in such a short time. Advertisement Nike described the shoe to Forbes as follows: "The Nike Kobe 5 'Protro PE' isn't a signature player sneaker as many had hoped, but rather a Player Edition (PE) colorway. It comes dressed in the Indiana Fever's team colors: dark navy, crimson orange, and an electric university gold outlining the Swoosh." Indiana Caitlin Clark's new signature model shoe sells out in record Peltier-Imagn Images While it's not yet her own signature model, Clark's influence puts her on track to join other WNBA stars like A'ja Wilson and Sabrina Ionescu, who have received signature shoes. According to Men's Journal, Clark has worn different Kobe models since her Iowa days, and this new edition pairs perfectly with the Fever's uniforms. The design features dark blue to match the team's road jerseys, with red and yellow details inspired by the Fever logo. Advertisement Clark and the Fever will take the court again Tuesday night in the Commissioner's Cup championship game against the Minnesota Lynx. The Lynx won the event last year but fell short in the finals against the New York Liberty. With her on-court excellence and off-court appeal, Clark continues to prove she's more than just a basketball star; she's a cultural force. Related: Ranking the 25 Best WNBA Players of All Time Related: Caitlin Clark Gets One Word From Sophie Cunningham After Fever News This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Jun 30, 2025, where it first appeared.
Yahoo
6 hours ago
- Yahoo
Aaron Judge Ties Babe Ruth With Latest Incredible Yankees Feat
Aaron Judge Ties Babe Ruth With Latest Incredible Yankees Feat originally appeared on Athlon Sports. Stop if you've heard this one before: New York Yankees superstar Aaron Judge made home run history again. Advertisement Judge homered twice in Sunday's 12-5 victory over the Athletics, giving him an even 30 dingers. It's the fourth time in his stellar career that Judge has reached 30 homers before the All-Star Break, and he's now just five blasts away from 350—and remember, Judge debuted in August 2016, and he only played 28 games in 2020 because of injuries and the pandemic. According to MLB analyst Sarah Langs, Judge tied Babe Ruth for the most seasons with at least 30 homers before his team's 85th game. The Yankees, at 48-35, have only played 83 games ... as anyone who knows basic math can tell you. Now, there's an important distinction we must note here. As Major League Baseball did not hold its first All-Star Game until 1933, Ruth only played two full seasons—1933 and 1934—with an All-Star Break; he retired midway through 1935. New York Yankees designated hitter Aaron JudgeVincent Carchietta-Imagn Images Judge hit 34 homers in last year's first half, 33 in 2022, and 30 during his 2017 Rookie of the Year campaign. Advertisement It gets better. Judge is also the only player since 2000 to record at least 30 home runs before the All-Star Break on three separate occasions. Barry Bonds (2001 and 2003) and Shohei Ohtani (2021 and 2023) accomplished it twice, with Bonds crushing 39 homers during the 2001 season's first half. As much as the media wants to push an MVP race between Judge and Seattle Mariners catcher Cal Raleigh, statistics and moments like this make it difficult to imagine the Yankees captain not winning his third MVP in four years. Related: Aaron Judge Leaves Yankees Fans Amazed During Athletics Game This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Jun 29, 2025, where it first appeared.
Yahoo
6 hours ago
- Yahoo
Every shot from dramatic five-hole playoff at Rocket Classic
Korda back to even after capitalizing on free drop After an errant second shot on the par-5 eighth hole, Nelly Korda capitalizes with a fantastic pitch shot to set up her birdie putt at the KPMG Women's PGA Championship. 1:11 Now Playing Paused Ad Playing
