Korean duo finishes 2nd at LPGA team event
Kim Hyo-joo and Choi Hye-jin of Korea look on from the 10th green during the final round of the Dow Championship 2026 at Midland Country Club, in Midland, Michigan, June 14. AFP-Yonhap
The Korean duo of Choi Hye-jin and Kim Hyo-joo has finished in second place at an LPGA team event, leaving the former in search of her maiden title on the tour.
Choi and Kim ended up two strokes behind the American tandem of Gina Kim and Yana Wilson at 15-under 265 at the Dow Championship at the par-70 Midland Country Club in Midland, Michigan, on Sunday (local time).
The South Koreans posted a bogey-free round of five-under 65, but it wasn't good enough against Kim and Wilson, who carded a 62 in the final round with six birdies and an eagle.
The first and the third rounds had the alternate shot, or foursomes, format, in which teammates took turns hitting the same ball. The second and the final rounds were played in the fourball format, where players each hit their own ball and the better score of the two became the team's score on each hole.
Choi and Kim began the final round with a one-stroke lead over Kim and Wilson at 10-under, as they were trying to become the second straight South Korean duo to win the Dow Championship after the tandem of Im Jin-hee and Lee So-mi.
Choi and Kim went up by two at 11-under after Choi's birdie at the second hole, but the Americans got back within one with a birdie on the next hole.
Then they grabbed their first lead when Gina Kim holed out from the fairway for the eagle on the par-4 fifth that took them to 12-under.
The two teams made the turn tied at 13-under, but the Americans picked up four birdies on the back nine en route to the come-from-behind victory, while the South Koreans managed just two.
Choi, who joined the LPGA Tour in 2022 after notching 11 victories in her native South Korea from 2017 to 2020, was chasing her first LPGA victory in her 114th start. This was her fourth career runner-up finish.
Kim Hyo-joo, who already has two titles this year, was trying to join world No. 1 Nelly Korda as a three-time winner on the tour in 2026.
Choi and Kim played together for the first time at this event. Choi teamed up with An Narin in 2022 and tied for sixth. Kim played with Ji Eun-hee in 2019 and again in 2021, tying for sixth and then for 17th.
Among other South Korean teams, Im and Lee tied for third in their title defense at 14-under. Kim A-lim and Yoon Ina tied for seventh at 11-under.