Midland: The South Korean duo of Choi Hye-jin and Kim Hyo-joo has finished in second place at an LPGA team event, leaving Choi in search of her maiden title on the tour. According to Yonhap News Agency, Choi and Kim ended up two strokes behind the American tandem of Gina Kim and Yana Wilson at 15-under 265 at the Dow Championship at the par-70 Midland Country Club in Midland, Michigan. The South Koreans posted a bogey-free round of five-under 65, but it wasn't enough against Kim and Wilson, who carded a 62 in the final round with six birdies and an eagle. The event's format varied, with the first and third rounds using the alternate shot format, where teammates took turns hitting the same ball. The second and final rounds employed the fourball format, in which players each hit their own ball, and the better score for each hole became the team's score. Choi and Kim began the final round with a one-stroke lead over Kim and Wilson at 10-under. They aimed to be the second consecutive South Korean pair to win t he Dow Championship after Im Jin-hee and Lee So-mi's win. Choi and Kim led by two strokes at 11-under after Choi's birdie at the second hole, but the Americans narrowed the gap with a birdie on the next hole. The American duo took their first lead when Gina Kim holed out from the fairway for an eagle on the par-4 fifth, moving them to 12-under. Both teams were tied at 13-under at the turn, but the Americans added four birdies on the back nine to secure their victory, while the South Koreans managed just two. Choi, who joined the LPGA Tour in 2022 following 11 victories in South Korea from 2017 to 2020, was pursuing her first LPGA victory in her 114th start, marking her fourth career runner-up finish. Kim Hyo-joo, with two titles this year, aimed to join world No. 1 Nelly Korda as a three-time winner on the tour in 2026. This event marked the first time Choi and Kim played together. Previously, Choi partnered with An Narin in 2022, finishing tied for sixth, while Kim paired with Ji Eun-hee in 2019 and 2021, finishing tied for sixth and 17th, respectively. Other South Korean teams also performed well, with Im and Lee tying for third in their title defense at 14-under, and Kim A-lim and Yoon Ina tying for seventh at 11-under.
