Michigan Golf Journal June 2019

and 2019 Solheim Cup Captain Catriona Matthew; Americans Lexi Thompson and Cristie Kerr; young phenom Lydia Ko and In Gee Chun; the Jutanugarn sisters, Ariya and Moriya; Katherine Kirk and Amy Olson – plus Michigan native Kris Tamulis (formerly of Lapeer) pairing with Kim Kaufmann. Tour stars yet to announce a committed partner as of mid-May include Henderson, Michelle Wie and Danielle Kang. LPGA Tour Commissioner Michael Whan said Michigan was the right place, and 2019 was the right time for the LPGA Tour to launch its first-ever team tournament. “To be honest, if you go back to 2010, we needed to fill our (LPGA Tour) schedule,” Whan told the Golf Channel. “We needed to provide enough opportunities to figure out who the best female golfers in the world are. “Now I think we have the opportunity to sprinkle the rest of the schedule with some difference… (like the) Dow Great Lakes Bay Invitational, playing in the team format. I think golf is ready for it, but more importantly I think the LPGA is at a point in our schedule and in our history where we want to show something different, we want to show some fun. We want to create variety on our Tour.” Henderson is looking forward to the team format fun she first discovered playing youth hockey. “For me, being from Canada, it will be the first time on the LPGA Tour that I have had a team or a teammate, so I’m really excited and I’m really looking forward to it,” Henderson said. “It’s just so different, you know, growing up playing hockey I had that team comradery and it was so much fun for me. I made friends that will last a lifetime and I think like in golf, if you can do that, I think it will be great as well.” Kauffman said her friendship with Tamulis will make tough situations on the course and in the scoring format more comforting. “We have been friends for six years and counting,” Kauffman said. “I wanted to play with someone you enjoy playing with. Best ball is fun because you can shoot that really low number and if you’re a good team and if you best ball well you’ll get those birdies when your partner isn’t getting a birdie, and vice-versa. Alternate shot is so fun; maybe a little scary as a player because you can have some big numbers if you hit it into places you’re not used to. I’ve never really done 11 June 2019 www.michigangolfjournal.com