Cassie Porter and Gemma Dryburgh (photo) held 36-hole lead at LPGA’s Dow Championship. They completed the opening round in scintillating fashion with a 4-under 66 score. It was a career-defining moment for the young Australian rookie, 22-year-old Porter, and the veteran 32-year-old Scottish-born Dryburgh. The duo showcased their skills by strategically navigating the course, with Porter driving the green on a reachable par 4 and chipping in to ignite a streak of three consecutive birdies.
In an extremely competitive field, Jennifer Kupcho and Leona Maguire were just a shot behind her, each shooting a 67. After that early stumble, they accomplished this feat by going bogey-free over their last 16 holes. They made four birdies on the show. They showed a deep understanding of the demanding alternate-shot format, which can be physically and mentally draining for most competitors. Kupcho noted their strategy, saying, “So we give ourselves lots of putts and kind of have our speed under control and kind of just make it easy on each other.”
Six other teams were hot on the heels of Kupcho and Maguire, just one shot back. Among them were future stars, including Lexi Thompson and Meghan Kang. Despite hitting five birdies, Thompson and Kang were unable to concede the two bogeys that hurt their overall score. Looking back on their play, Thompson noted how critical steadiness is in the alternate-shot layout.
“I knew coming out here for alternate shot that we just had to make a few birdies and pars were good. Just tried to stay consistent and be patient.” – Lexi Thompson
The keeping champions, Ruoning Yin and Jeeno Thitikul, are within the fight for a repeat win. As of now, they sit third in the women’s world rankings. Their experience from past tournaments will certainly be a key factor as the championship unfolds.
Porter and Dryburgh’s combination of creativity, collaboration and strategy has proven successful so far. Dryburgh emphasized their complementary styles, acknowledging that they selected the right holes to exploit each other’s strengths:
“Cassie hits it further than me, and I’m nice and down the middle usually. We kind of picked the right holes for each other, and I think we gelled really well. We complemented each other really nicely.” – Gemma Dryburgh
Whatever surprises await during the tournament, players will have to stay focused and flexible with their approaches. With the LPGA’s Dow Championship in play, the competitive nature makes for a tantalizing follow as squads impose their brand of golf to finish at the top.
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