The Korean duo of Somi Lee and Jin Hee Im prevailed to capture the Dow Championship title on Sunday at Midland Country Club, while Leona Maguire and Jennifer Kupcho, who had led at at the end of the second round, finished seven shots off the winners.
Lee an d Hee Im won at the first hole of their a playoff over Lexi Thompson and Megan Khang
The teams replayed the par-3 18th to begin the play off. Thompson got her team closer than Lee off the tee, but Im rolled in an 8-foot birdie putt and Khang missed her team’s 5-footer to the left.
Lee and Im birdied the 17th hole and parred the 18th to tie Khang and Thompson at 20-under-par 260 and force the playoff. Khang and Thompson fired a 10-under 60 earlier in the day, and Lee and Im posted a 62.
Maguire and Kupcho, were never able to recover from a disappointing third round and although they eventually signed for final round of 68, they finished well down the field.
The final round deployed a four-ball (best ball) format before the playoff was played in alternate shot (foursomes).
It marked the first LPGA win for both Lee and Im, and Im said she might not have been able to notch her first victory without her playing partner.
“I think we’re best team ever,” Im said. “Hopefully, we coming back next year.”
“We are last year rookie season, but (the LPGA is) so tough LPGA,” Lee added. “But we are together win and I’m now happy so much.”
Thompson, who retired from full-time LPGA competition after last season, was on the precipice of her first victory since 2019. She fell to 0-6 in LPGA Tour playoffs.
“Megan played some amazing golf this week. I pulled together some good golf today,” Thompson said. “It’s just great to be alongside her. We have a lot of laughs and in between shots we are relaxed and have a good time.”
Tied for third at 18 under were the teams of Lindy Duncan and China’s Miranda Wang (59) and Belgium’s Manon De Roey and France’s Pauline Roussin-Bouchard (64).
Sarah Schmelzel and Switzerland’s Albane Valenzuela, who began the day in the lead, managed only a 66 and dropped into fifth at 17 under.