– Discreet balance at the Dow Championship, the only tournament of the year on the LPGA Tour played in pairs format. Four Spanish players started on Thursday, and after the cut-off round set this Friday, only one remains. Carlota Ciganda continues, just barely, teaming up with Mexican Gaby López. They both signed a card of 66 strokes in the fourballs and made the cut right on the number (-4). They scored a good number of birdies in Michigan but were penalised by two bogeys, something you can’t afford in this better ball format if you want to be at the top. In any case, they have earned two more days of competition and have enough talent to still get into the battle for the top positions. Everything depends on a very good comeback this Saturday in the foursomes, the most challenging format, and therefore, the one that allows for more changes in the standings.
– The downside has been for Azahara Muñoz, Julia López, and Fátima Fernández Cano. The first two played together and signed a card of 67 strokes in the fourball. At least, they redeemed themselves from a disastrous foursomes round. However, they were far from the cut. They scored six birdies between them, but again were punished by two bogeys on their card. Meanwhile, Fátima fell with Caley McGinty. They signed a card of 68 strokes in the fourballs, insufficient to overturn the previous day’s result and give themselves a chance to make the cut. They finished five strokes off that first target.
– Jennifer Kupcho and Leona Maguire (-13) are the tournament leaders after delivering a fabulous card of 60 strokes in the fourball. It’s the first time they play together, but they have already shown in the Solheim Cup that they thrive in these competition formats. They have made only one bogey in 36 holes, and it came in the foursomes, but above all, they have put on a display on the greens. Between the two, they needed just 18 putts to complete the round this Friday. Incredible. Rivals in the Solheim, but lethal in the Dow Championship.
– Kupcho, by the way, already won this tournament in 2022 partnering with Lizette Salas. Maguire, on the other hand, seeks to pull off a Shane Lowry last year at the Zurich Classic. She turned around a dull season by winning with Rory McIlroy as a partner. Leona needs it in a season where she has only achieved one top 10.
– One stroke behind the leaders are Scottish Gemma Dryburgh and American Cassie Park. Plenty of Europeans in the top spots. In third position, two strokes behind, we have Albane Valenzuela, playing with Schmelzel, or Manon de Roey and Pauline Roussin playing together.
– Among the most notable pairs that missed the cut are Lydia Ko and Danielle Kang, more surprising for the former than the latter, Haeran Ryu and Rose Zhang, or the Jutanugarn sisters.
