Thailand’s Atthaya Thitikul and China’s Ruoning Yin, both former World No. 1 players, shot an 8-under 62 on Sunday to win the Dow Championship in Midland, Mich.
Thitikul and Yin, both 21, partnered for the first time and finished 22 under for the week, defeating Ally Ewing and Jennifer Kupcho by one shot.
Thitikul and Yin both earned their third wins on the LPGA Tour after closing with a 62 in Sunday’s four-ball (best-ball) format. Thitikul, who was playing in the event for the first time, clinched the win with a birdie putt on the par-3 18th.
“She doesn’t have any option,” Thitikul said about teaming up with Yin. “I’m just forcing her to play with me.”
The pair played a bogey-free final round, combining for eight birdies, including three in a row on Nos. 2-4.
Meanwhile, Ewing and Kupcho, who led by a shot after Saturday’s third round, carded a 64 with six birdies and no bogeys in the final round, but it wasn’t enough.
“We got off to a slow start, but we hung in there,” Ewing said. “It wasn’t easy. I think in these tournaments, if you get to hole 18 (and) you have a chance to win the golf tournament or force a playoff, that’s all you ask for.”
South Koreans In Kyung Kim and Haeji Kang shot 65 and finished in a tie for third at 19 under with Danish teammates Nanna Koerstz Madsen and Nicole Broch Estrup (63).
“I was struggling from the start, and then I kind of — yeah, she was playing the first four holes, I think, and then I kind of stepped in a little bit,” Estrup said. “We were in a little bit more trouble today, but when Nanna was in trouble, I kind of stepped in, and the other way around. I’m so happy to have had Nanna by my side this week.”
Friends Georgia Hall and Charley Hull of Great Britain teamed up to shoot 63 and finished 18 under in a tie for fifth with Auston Kim and Australian Grace Kim (65).
Gigi Stoll of the United States and Nataliya Guseva of Russia came in seventh at 17 under after firing a 61. Several pairs tied for eighth at 16 under, including Lexi Thompson and Canada’s Brooke Henderson.
“It was super fun, Henderson said. “Lexi was an incredible partner, and I’m really glad I got to play with her, especially in her last full season out here on Tour. … Overall it was just a really fun week.”
–Field Level Media
