Michigan Golf Journal July 2021

Michigan Golf Journal LPGA Team Tournament Friendly Rivals? By Tom Lang LPGA Tour’s Dow Great Lakes Bay Invitational team format a highlight for players and a retreat from the normal grind If there’s such a thing as friendly competition – where pro golfers’ livelihoods are dependent on their scoring results compared to other players – it well could be the LPGA Tour’s Dow Great Lakes Bay Invitational, set for July 14- 17 at Midland Country Club. The team format at Midland is the only such chance outside of the bi-annual Solheim Cup for pro golfers like the Korda sisters, Nelly and Jessica, can play together in an official- money team competition. The format toggles each round between best ball and alternate shot. The eventual winners will each get credit for an LPGA Tour victory and each player will get credit for their team results in season long points. On media day in mid- June, LPGA player Pernilla Lindberg of Sweden told me that choosing to play with pro Sarah Jane Smith was more about friendship and making the most out of a unique team opportunity mid-season. “For me, I’m thinking more about wanting to play with a close friend,” Lindberg said. “It’s an opportunity Stacy Lewis Maria Fassi