MIDLAND, Michigan — Dottie Ardina and Bianca Pagdanganan, the most active Filipino players in the LPGA Tour, will be paired off separately when the $2.7M Dow Great Lakes Bay Invitational blasts off 19 July.
Sixty-four teams are competing in the unique team event that features two days of alternate shot play on Wednesday and Friday and two days of four-ball on Thursday and Saturday.
It’s a challenging format that will put every two-player team in the field to the test.
Ardina will join hands with Thai Pornanong Phatlum, while Pagdanganan will be paired with Slovenian Ana Belac.
Philippine-born Japanese Yuka Saso is in tandem with French Celine Boutier.
In 2019, the Dow Great Lakes Bay Invitational was founded in Midland, Mich. to satisfy the appetite of both players and fans for more team competition.
Winners of the Dow GLBI include inaugural champions Cydney Clanton and Jasmine Suwannapura, a sister act in the Jutanugarns and a pair of Solheim Cup teammates in last year’s champions Jennifer Kupcho and Lizette Salas, who reprised their partnership for a victory in Michigan.
While the much-anticipated outcome will no doubt have fans on the edge of their seats over the course of the four days of tournament play, just seeing the intriguing partnerships that the team event produces creates nearly as much excitement.
Brooke Henderson and Lexi Thompson will combine their star power for the first time in what will be a must-see pairing. The two players combine for three major championships and 24 LPGA Tour titles.
Stacy Lewis, the captain for the US Solheim Cup squad, will once again team up with Maria Fassi, a fellow University of Arkansas Razorback. The competition will also give Lewis a chance to assess how some of her potential team members fare in this kind of format.
She’ll no doubt be keeping an eye on Cheyenne Knight who is hoping to qualify for the United States team for the first time and who is partnering with Elizabeth Szokol. Alison Lee, who currently sits at 11th in the standings and is partnering with fellow American Megan Khang, will also be another team of intrigue for the Solheim Cup captain.
Mel Reid and Bronte Law, a pair of Englishwomen and close friends, will combine their years of experience competing on behalf of the European team at the Solheim Cup.
Georgia Hall and Ryann O’Toole, partners off the golf course, will test their partnership in the team format this week in Michigan.
It’s a challenging format that will put every two-player team in the field to the test.
And Solheim Cup veteran Cristie Kerr will partner with fellow veteran Kristy McPherson in an effort to convert their years of LPGA Tour experience into success.
In what will no doubt be the feel-good story of the week, Jane Park makes a return to LPGA Tour competition for the first time since 2021.
Park stepped away from professional golf two years ago to become the full-time caretaker for her daughter, Grace, who at just 10 months old began suffering undiagnosed seizures which resulted in severe brain damage.
Park will be partnering with longtime friend and major champion, Paula Creamer, and will have her husband, Pete, on the bag for her return. Grace will be on-site as well.
