No couple is having a better time than Charlie Hull and Georgia Hall at the Dow Championship, a pairs tournament of the LPGA Tour that is being played in Michigan. At least, that’s what the two Englishwomen, always smiling and joking, convey. You have to be prepared to have a sense of humour, to give and take when Hull is around, and Hall has understood that perfectly.
The two admitted yesterday at the end of the second day, which was played in fourballs format, that they were getting bored. Just like that. They had a partial of four under with five holes left. It wasn’t bad, but it was a bit short for what can be done in this best ball format. So, Georgia proposed a challenge on the 14th fairway. The one who makes fewer birdies from here to the end, pays for everything for the rest of the day to the other. Hull lost. Charlie made a birdie on the 14th, but Georgia finished with two on the 17th and 18th. The bet didn’t turn out badly. Four birdies in the first 13 holes and three in the last five.
This good finish allowed the British pair to reach a score of -11, one stroke behind the five pairs leading the tournament: Grace Kim and Auston Kim, Nicole Broch Estrup and Nanna Koertsz Madsen, Ally Ewing and Jennifer Kupcho, Ssu Chia Chen and Wei Ling Hsu and Jaravee Boonchant and Channettte Wannasaen. All with -12.
The reality is that the tournament is very tight. No less than 17 pairs, or in other words, 34 players, are separated by only two strokes. To say that the classification is in a fist is to fall very short. Without a doubt, the foursomes round that takes place this Saturday, will open up the classification quite a bit. The alternate shot is where the most differences can be made.
The top of the leaderboard is something like the UN: Australia, United States, Taiwan, Denmark or Thailand occupy the lead. However, Friday was a day for Europe. The best card of the day was delivered by Celine Boutier and Yuka Saso. They signed for 58 strokes, although the great protagonist was the Frenchwoman, who signed for 59 strokes, eleven birdies on the par 70, seven of them consecutive between the 1st and 7th. A barbarity, even in fourball format.
The day was very European, but not at all Spanish. Carlota Ciganda and Linn Grant and Azahara Muñoz and Ana Peláez missed the cut. The Navarrese and the Swede handed in a card of 67 strokes in best ball, a very short result for this format. In fact, the big problem of this Solheim pair this week has been the lack of birdie. A pity.
Meanwhile, the Malagueñas, boqueronas as they defined themselves, made birdies, but also made mistakes. Specifically, they signed two bogeys in the 18 holes, something that penalises a lot in this format.
