Cassie Porter and Gemma Dryburgh surged too the top of the Dow championship leaderboard Thursday, carding a 4-under 66 in the LPGA Tour’s unique team event. Porter’s impressive play, including a chipped-in birdie on a par 4, ignited a run of three consecutive birdies to start their round.
The pair navigated the course with precision, dropping just one shot and finishing with six straight pars to establish a one-stroke advantage. Six teams trail closely behind,including the pairings of Lexi Thompson and meghan Kang,and leona Maguire and Jennifer Kupcho.
Reigning champions Ruoning Yin and Jeeno Thitikul, both highly ranked players, are within two strokes of the led at 68.
The successful partnership between Dryburgh, a 32-year-old from Scotland, and rookie LPGA Tour player Porter, 22, of Australia, was built on strategic planning. They carefully selected starting holes to maximize Porter’s driving distance.
“Cassie consistently outdrives me, and I typically find the fairway,” Dryburgh explained. “We chose holes that suited each of our strengths, and our games complemented each other very well.”
Thompson, seeking her first LPGA victory in six years, and Khang recorded five birdies but were offset by two bogeys.
“In alternate shot, we knew we needed to make some birdies, and pars were valuable,” Thompson stated. “We focused on consistency and patience.”
Maguire and Kupcho overcame an early bogey with a strong finish, playing bogey-free over the final 16 holes with four birdies to join the group at 67.
The duo emphasized a simple approach to the challenging alternate-shot format. Both players are known for their accuracy and reliable putting.
“We avoid overly aggressive pin attacks,” Kupcho said. “We prioritize giving ourselves good looks at birdie and controlling our speed, making it easier on each other.”
Kupcho previously won the event in 2022 alongside Lizette Salas.
Friday’s competition will switch to a fourballs format, where each team takes the lower score from its players on each hole.
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