Leona Maguire and American Lindy Duncan are just one shot off the lead and tied for fourth after an opening two-under in the paired format at the LPGA Tour’s Dow Championship.
Playing in foursomes on day one, the new partnership gelled well and made four birdies and two bogeys, though one of those dropped shots came on eight – their 17th – having just birdied the par-3 previous to take a share of the lead.
Lauren Walsh, making her tournament debut, is playing alongside Celine Herbin of France, and they combined for a level-par opening round that sees them tied for 16th after making three birdies and three bogeys.
Walsh is coming off a third-place finish at the ShopRite LPGA – a result that catapulted her up to 59th in the Race to CME Rankings – and is probably just one more good finish from securing her LPGA playing rights for 2027 which would make it a very successful rookie campaign.
The pairings of Hira Naveed and Gurleen Kaur, Gemma Dryburgh and Nicole Broch Estrup, and rookies Michelle Zhang and Camille Boyd each carded a three-under-par 67 on the par-70 layout at Midland Country Club.
In a tournament format known for punishing mistakes, the co-leaders navigated the traditional foursomes opening round by leaning on their chemistry.
Dryburgh and Broch Estrup took the early clubhouse lead at Midland Country Club, celebrated a pair of personal milestones on the course. Dryburgh, celebrating her 33rd birthday, and Broch Estrup are both new mothers to infant sons born in 2025. Playing together for the first time, the duo combined for five birdies and two bogeys to match the three-under pace.
They were joined by Zhang and Boyd at the top of the leaderboard. Self-dubbed “The Baddies,” the two LPGA Tour rookies used an aggressive approach to jump to three-under through their first seven holes. Despite a turbulent front-nine that included a bogey on the first hole, they bounced back with a crucial birdie on the fifth to regain their share of the lead.
The afternoon wave saw Naveed and Kaur, playing together for the first time, surged into the an early lead with four birdies against a single bogey. The performance marked the first time Naveed has held a share of the lead at any point in her LPGA Tour career. Kaur, a member of Team Dow receiving travel financial backing this season, provided steady support.
The three leading teams hold a narrow one-stroke advantage over a crowded leaderboard. Five teams sit just one shot back at two-under-par 68, including the pairings of Maguire and Duncan, and Linn Grant and Maja Stark.
The format shifts to fourball on Friday, shifting the strategy to an aggression-focused one and we can expect much more separation on the heavily-bunched leaderboard we now have.
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