Rose Zhang and Alexa Pano grew up playing a lot of golf together, against each other and with each other. They squared off in American Junior Golf Association tournaments, and they were teammates with Team USA in the Junior Ryder Cup and Junior Solheim Cup.
This week, two of professional women’s golf’s rising stars, are teaming up again, in the fifth playing of the LPGA’s Dow Championship at Midland Country Club.
The tournament is the only team event on the LPGA.
“I’m super excited,” said Zhang, 21, the No. 9-ranked women’s golfer in the world, who is playing in a pro tournament in Michigan for the first time. “It’s just super fun to go into this week knowing a really good friend, ever since we were itty-bitty and just going out and having fun. This event is so unique on the LPGA schedule, so being able to really just have a partner, enjoy the time, is very special.”
The Dow Championship features 144 players, or 72 teams, with alternate shot in the first and third rounds, and best ball in the second and fourth rounds.
The tournament is set for Thursday through Sunday, the same days as the PGA Tour is playing in Detroit, with the Rocket Mortgage Classic.
Defending champions Cheyenne Knight and Elizabeth Szokol are in the field.
Both Zhang, who grew up in California, and Pano, 19, who grew up in Florida, picked up their first wins on the LPGA last season. Pano is ranked 93rd in the world. It can be a grind to be a pro golfer. So many weeks, you’re on your own. Not this week. And that’s exciting for Pano.
“I think the theme for this week is just to have as much fun as possible,” Pano said. “We’ve been looking forward to this for a while now. … Being able to live out our dreams on Tour together is really cool, and getting to experience an event as partners is going to be amazing.”
That’s not to say there won’t be pressure. That’s not to say there isn’t plenty at stake.
Both Zhang and Pano are on the radar for the U.S. Solheim Cup, set for Sept. 13-15 in Virginia. Zhang is currently seventh in the standings, Pano is 17th. The top seven at the end of the qualifying period earn their spots, and the top two in the world rankings who aren’t already qualified will get a spot. Then, there will be three captain’s picks.
Team USA’s captain for 2024 is Stacy Lewis, who also is in the field at the Dow Championship, playing alongside Maria Fassi. Lewis has finished sixth and third in the last two Dows, so she enjoys the event.
But it takes on even more meaning this year, and she gets an up-close look at possible Team USA players, in a team environment, including Zhang and Pano, as well as the teams of Jennifer Kupcho (champ here in 2022; 12th in the standings) and Ally Ewing (third), and Ryann O’Toole (16th) and Lucy Li (21st), among others.
“Just seeing all of them, how they play team golf, how they interact with their partners, it tells you a lot about who they are,” Lewis said. “So yes, I’m watching.”
Dow Championship
▶ When: Thursday-Sunday
▶ Where: Midland Country Club (6,277 yards, par 70)
▶ TV: Thursday-Friday— 10 a.m.-noon, Golf Channel; noon-1 p.m., Peacock; Saturday — 4-5 p.m., Peacock; 5-7 p.m., Golf Channel; Sunday — 1-3 p.m., CBS
▶ Defending champions: Cheyenne Knight and Elizabeth Szokol
▶ Purse: $3 million (winner’s share: $366,082 each)
▶ Tickets: $10, at dowchampionship.com
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