A thrilling stretch of five consecutive events comes to a thrilling conclusion with the Dow Championship. It’s a lighthearted, team tournament that allows the best in women’s golf to partner with close friends and rivals for a unique team-playing event. A field of 144 players will play at Midland Country Club in Midland from Thursday. Here are five things to know about this week’s Dow Championship.
Changes for 2024
The LPGA Tour’s annual group event has undergone several changes ahead of its fifth edition. First, the tournament changed its name from the Dow Great Lakes Bay Invitational to the Dow Championship. Second, the event was moved from July to June to accommodate the schedules of the world’s top-ranked players, who are trying to balance a busy summer schedule that includes the 2024 Paris Olympics. Finally, the championship increased its total purse from $2.7 million to $3 million and expanded the field from 64 to 72 teams.
form
The Dow Championship is also known as Alternate Shot – and teams square off over 72 holes while competing in four-ball alternate rounds. Although no Rolex ranking points are earned during this championship, a win on the LPGA Tour is considered an official win for both members of the winning team.
Special teams
As the world’s best players go head-to-head throughout the year, they come together for this one-of-a-kind event on the LPGA Tour, often creating some fascinating pairings. This season sees the return of the team of Lexi Thompson and Brooke Henderson, who reunite after losing last year at the Dow Championship. Celine Boutier and Yuka Sasso, who finished third at Midland last year, are playing together again this year. Sasso already has one win this season with her win at the US Women’s Open.
Other special partnerships include Rose Zhang and Alexa Bano teaming up for the first time, as well as Lydia Ko and Daniel Kang, who reunite at the Dow Championship for the first time since 2021. English pair and long-time friends Charlie Hull and Georgia Hull, along with Runing Yin and Athaya Didikul, are also partnering for the championship.
Event history
Jasmine Suvannapura and Sydney Clanton teamed up to capture the first match of the Dow Championship in 2019. The championship was not held in 2020 due to the Covid-19 pandemic, but in the following season, Ariya and Moriya Jutanugarn sister act. Winning in 2021, they reunite this year in search of a second win. The sisters’ team victory marked the last victory on the LPGA Tour for each of the Jutanugarns.
In 2022, American Solheim Cup teammates Jennifer Kupso and Lisette Salas represented the red, white and blue and won the Dow Championship. The win was Kupso’s third of the season and Salas’ second career win, a performance the pair will be looking to replicate when they reunite this week.
In 2023, the pair of Elizabeth Sokol and Cheyenne Knight, who called themselves the Elizabethan Knights, took a one-stroke victory over Kelly Dann and Matilda Castren when they won at Midland. The win was the second of Knight’s career and the first for Sokol, and the defending champions look to reunite this season and try again.
How to see
Live coverage of the Dow Championship begins Thursday. You can watch coverage of the first and second rounds on Golf Channel from 10 am to 12 pm EST and Peacock from 10 am to 1 pm EST. Third round coverage will be available on Golf Channel from 5-7pm EST and Peacock from 4-7pm EST.
Finals coverage can be found on the NBC Sports app from 12 – 1 pm EST and on CBS from 1 – 3 pm EST.
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