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USA Today
29-06-2025
- Sport
- USA Today
Complete list of winning teams through the years at LPGA Dow Championship
It didn't take long for the Dow Championship to become a favorite on the LPGA – among fans and players alike. That the team championship falls in between major championships makes it a welcome respite. For some winners, success at the Dow changed their careers, providing a much-needed status boost. For all, the team atmosphere provided a shot of confidence going into the second half of the season. The Dow takes place at Midland Country Club in Midland, Michigan, and is known for its tremendous community support. In 2025, the sixth edition of the popular event featured 72 teams competing for a $3.3 million purse. The winning team receives a standard two-year winner's exemption on the LPGA priority list as well as official money and CME points. Rolex Rankings, Player of the Year and Rookie of the Year points are not allocated. Here are the first five winning teams: 2019: Cydney Clanton and Jasmine Suwannapura, 27 under Runner-up: Minjee Lee and Jin Young Ko, -21 2021: Ariya and Moriya Jutanugarn, 24 under Runner-up: Cydney Clanton and Jasmine Suwannapura, -21 2022: Jennifer Kupcho and Lizette Salas, 26 under Runner-up: Matilda Castren and Kelly Tan, -21 2023: Cheyenne Knight and Elizabeth Szokol, 23 under Runner-up: Matilda Castren and Kelly Tan, -22 2024: Jeeno Thitikul and Atthaya Thitikul, 22 under Runner-up: Jennifer Kupcho and Ally Ewing, -21
USA Today
26-06-2025
- Entertainment
- USA Today
Notable team names at LPGA's Dow Championship, including the leaders, who used ChatGPT
When it came time to decide on a team name, Dow Championship leaders Cassie Porter and Gemma Dryburgh consulted ChatGPT. The result: Kilted Koalas. "It was the first suggestion, and I was like, hey, that's great," said Porter, who hails from Australia while partner Dryburgh is Scottish. "And ChatGPT came up with a really nice logo. And I don't know if you've seen them, but we have really cool shirts. We'll be selling merch at the end of the week if anyone is interested." Dryburgh and Porter opened with a 4-under 66 in the alternate shot format at Midland Country Club, recording three consecutive birdies on Nos. 14-16. Defending champions Jeeno Thitikul and Ruoning Yin opened with a 68 and were delighted to see a sign of support on the first tee. "It's very surprising, I would say, because I didn't expect that," said Yin, "like the fans can have the sign for us. But obviously, everyone loved Jin & Ronic." Lexi Thompson and Megan Khang first played together – with much success – at the 2023 Solheim Cup. It was Thompson who came up with their team name this week, Biggie Smalls. There's nearly a foot difference in height between them. "I was on board from the jump,," said Khang in their pre-tournament press conference, though they hadn't yet worked out their walk-up song. (Though the artist should be fairly easy to work out.) Japanese twins Chisato Iwai and Akie Iwai are known as "Aki&Chizzy75," a nod to the 75th anniversary of the LPGA and their birthday, July 5. They'd be the second set of sisters to win the event, following Ariya and Moriya Jutanugarn in 2021. 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.
USA Today
26-06-2025
- Sport
- USA Today
7 countries qualify for LPGA's International Crown, with Team England missing out
The field for the 2025 Hanwha Lifeplus International Crown is shaping up, as seven countries have qualified for team match-play competition. The four-day event will be held Oct. 23-26 at New Korea Country Club in South Korea, where the home team will be among the favorites. The seven countries that qualified include the United States (34 points), the Republic of Korea (53 points), Japan (74 points), Thailand (88 points), Sweden (115 points), Australia (128 points) and China (256 points). Team England missed qualifying by 83 points. The makeup of the teams will be finalized via the Rolex Rankings following the 2025 AIG Women's Open on Aug. 4. The top four players from each pre-qualified country will compete. In addition, an eighth World Team will debut this fall, consisting of the top-ranked player from each of the following four regions, not from a country already qualified: Americas (North America and South America); Europe; Asia; and Africa and Oceania. That opens the door for LPGA Hall of Famer Lydia Ko to compete. Team Thailand (Ariya Jutanugarn, Moriya Jutanugarn, Patty Tavatanakit, Jeeno Thitikul) won the most recent edition in 2023 at TPC Harding Park in San Francisco. When the Crown was last held in South Korea in 2018, the Korean team won in front of a large and passionate fan base. Here's how the teams currently stand:
USA Today
25-06-2025
- Sport
- USA Today
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.
USA Today
19-06-2025
- Sport
- USA Today
Nelly Korda sits four back of Jeeno Thitikul at Women's PGA, says neck is on the mend
Nelly Korda sits four back of Jeeno Thitikul at Women's PGA, says neck is on the mend FRISCO, Texas – Nelly Korda finds herself in solid position after Round 1 of the KPMG Women's PGA and, most importantly, her neck is on the mend. The world No. 1 said it's still hard to get comfortable when she sleeps, and she feels pain when she moves her neck side to side, but when she hits a golf ball, she's OK as long as it's taped up. Korda originally injured her neck last fall, and said when she tweaks it now, it usually takes a week to recover. Earlier this year at the LPGA match-play event in Las Vegas, Korda suffered a spasm while sleeping and couldn't move before her match against Ariya Jutanugarn. This time around, Korda suffered a spasm after hitting a ball out of the rough on Monday at the Fields Ranch Each course in Frisco. The rough isn't high, but it sinks down in the Northbridge Bermuda, often forcing players to wedge out. Korda opened with an even-par 72 on a steamy day in Texas to trail world No. 2 Jeeno Thitikul by four strokes. "Probably going to play a little firmer tomorrow,' said Korda. 'The golf course is just kind of played firmer and faster every single day.' After winning seven times in 2024, Korda remains winless this season, though she leads the tour in scoring with a 69.07 average. When it comes to scoring at the majors, Korda leads that, too, by a mile since the beginning of last year. Korda's cumulative score in relation to par over the last seven majors is 14 under, with Ruoning Yin coming in second at 9 under. Korda's play off the tee has been so strong, she has gained a full stroke on the field with her driver over the past two major championship seasons, according to the KPMG Performance Insights. 'I was hitting it well off the tee into the greens, and just didn't really give myself too many great looks,' said Korda. 'But I played pretty solid, I think, for the first day of a major. I mean, the pins were tough out there today.' Thitikul could overtake Korda as the No. 1 player with a victory this week, should Korda finish 11th or worse. Korda has been atop the Rolex Rankings for the past 65 weeks, dating back to March 2024. Thitikul spent two weeks in the No. 1 spot in the fall of 2022.
