MIDLAND, Mich. | For the fourth time, elite golfers arrive to compete in the Dow Great Lakes Bay Invitational in Midland, Mich. The Dow Chemical Company continues to support women’s golf as a title sponsor of the event in the Great Lakes Bay region of the state. This year, the tournament expects to host 64 teams that include three amateur teams competing for a total purse of $2.7 million.
Midland Country Club opened in 1929 and features two par 5s and four par 3s, including the island green on the 18th hole. Dow’s approach to green initiatives and sustainability is a hallmark characteristic of the course. Great care has been established on this course to biologically remove and neutralize all debris resulting from course maintenance.
Analyzing the data collected from the previous three competitions spotlights player achievements. Let’s examine the field, scores and a returning collegiate team.
Field
Fifty-seven players have participated in the first three editions of the Dow GLBI with 35 players in this week’s field returning for their fourth start. The stroke-play team competition features both alternate shot and four-ball formats. Nine players have recorded two top-10 finishes in the event. Cydney Clanton and Jasmine Suwannapura are making their fourth appearance as teammates. They won the inaugural event in 2019, finished second in 2021 and are looking forward to a fresh opportunity for success this year after missing the cut last year.
The LPGA is the world’s premier women’s professional golf organization with players representing over 60 countries. A total of 35 countries have been represented in the Dow Great Lakes Bay Invitational field in Midland in the past. Players from three additional countries are competing for the first time in the 2023 edition of the tournament, including Argentina, Morocco and Paraguay. This year’s field includes players from 29 different countries, and the past three winning teams hail from the United States and Thailand.
Most Official Wins by Country - 2023 LPGA Tour Season | |
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United States | 4 |
Australia | 2 |
People’s Republic of China | 2 |
Republic of Korea | 2 |
Scores
Several notable statistics have been recorded by players in the past playings of the Dow Great Lakes Bay Invitational. Pauline Roussin recorded the sole hole-in-one in 2019 during the second round of competition on the par-3 7th hole at Midland Country Club. Since 2019, the par-4 12th hole has seen the most birdies made with a total of 474. Sixteen additional eagles were made at No. 12 in the same span. The eighth hole proves to be the most challenging hole on the course to record a birdie with a scoring average of 4.052.
In the past three competitions, the alternate shot rounds (first and third rounds) have had a higher cumulative scoring average than the four-ball rounds. The record for the lowest alternate shot score is 63 by Clanton and Suwannapura who shot 7-under in the third round of the 2019 event. Their round included eight birdies and one bogey.
Cumulative Scoring Average | |
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Dow Great Lakes Bay Invitational History | |
Round 1 | 71.103 |
Round 2 | 64.900 |
Round 3 | 69.866 |
Round 4 | 64.034 |
Returning to the tournament this year is Paula Creamer who is partnered with Jane Park. Her last appearance at the Dow GLBI was with Morgan Pressel in 2019 where they ultimately finished in a tie for sixth at 18-under after recording all four rounds in the 60s. According to KPMG Performance Insights, Creamer ranks 14th on tour in strokes gained around the green this season, showing her strong performance on shots within 50 yards of the green.
Amateur Qualifier
The winner of the Suzann Pettersen Qualifier presented by Frankenmuth Insurance in June was Clemson University’s Annabelle Pancake. Pancake along with her teammate Savannah Grewal will be competing in the Dow Great Lakes Bay Invitational for the second consecutive year. During the 2022-23 season, Pancake had a 72.35 stroke average while competing for the Tigers, which was the third-best in Clemson history. She also had 12 rounds in the 60s this year, an all-time Clemson record. Pancake recorded 100 birdies in 12 tournaments and now boasts 231 career birdies. Returning to this tournament will give Pancake a taste of LPGA Tour life as she looks ahead to her senior year of collegiate competition.
The Dow Great Lakes Bay Invitational begins this week, and community and corporate support grows to showcase the region. From local businesses to volunteers, the entire area anticipates the annual event and is once again prepared to welcome the LPGA Tour, amateurs and visitors from around the state to experience the excitement of women’s golf at Midland Country Club.