Midland: South Korean LPGA sophomores Im Jin-hee and Lee So-mi have teamed up for their maiden U.S. titles. Im and Lee clinched victory at the Dow Championship held at the par-70 Midland Country Club in Midland, Michigan, on Sunday, after triumphing over the American team of Megan Khang and Lexi Thompson in a gripping playoff.
According to Yonhap News Agency, the competition, which featured two golfers per side, saw both teams complete 72 holes at 20-under 260. Im and Lee shot an impressive eight-under 62 in their bogey-free final round, recording eight birdies, but both players missed birdie attempts on the par-3 18th. Meanwhile, Khang and Thompson delivered a stunning final round of 60, with Thompson executing a birdie putt on the closing hole.
The tournament's structure comprised alternate shot or foursomes format in the first and third rounds, requiring teammates to take turns hitting the same ball. The second and final rounds were played in a fourball format, with players hitting their own balls and the better score for each hole counting as the team's score.
The playoff commenced at the 18th hole, reverting to the foursomes format. Im secured victory with a birdie putt, set up by Lee's tee shot. Khang missed a shorter birdie attempt, handing the South Korean duo their first LPGA wins.
Im, aged 27, and Lee, aged 26, both former players on the Korean tour, joined the LPGA in 2024. They shared a winner's prize of US$799,020, earning $399,510 each. The victory elevated Lee's season earnings to over $1.25 million, placing her 12th on the tour, while Im's earnings reached $889,933, positioning her in 20th place.
The pair became the fourth and fifth South Korean players to secure victories on the LPGA Tour in 2025, joining compatriots Kim A-lim, Kim Hyo-joo, and Ryu Hae-ran. Notably, Im and Lee are the first South Koreans to win the Dow Championship since its inception in 2019.
Furthermore, Im and Lee are the sixth and seventh first-time LPGA winners in 2025, marking the first instance of players earning their maiden LPGA titles at the Dow Championship. This tournament was the 17th of the LPGA Tour season, which has seen a different champion at each event thus far in 2025.
Lee's performance leading up to the Dow Championship was noteworthy, with this event marking her third consecutive top-10 finish and her fourth in the past five starts. Im and Lee began the final round in second place at 12-under, trailing Sarah Schmelzel of the United States and Albane Valenzuela of Switzerland by one stroke. The Belgian-French team of Manon De Roey and Pauline Roussin-Bouchard also stood at 12-under through three rounds, while another South Korean duo, Park Sung-hyun and Yoon Ina, were tied for fourth at 11-under.
Im initiated the final round with a birdie on the first hole and added four more birdies on the front nine. Lee contributed crucial putts on the back nine, including a birdie on the 17th, which tied their team with the Khang-Thompson team at 20-under, leading to the playoff.
During the playoff, Thompson placed her tee shot about five feet from the hole, while Lee's tee shot was slightly farther. Im, however, successfully holed her birdie putt, applying pressure on Khang, who missed her attempt.