2019 Dow Great Lakes Bay Invitational Jul 17 - 20

[Argonne69]

**Race to the CME Globe:** 500 Points

 

**Format:** 72 holes

 

**Purse:** $2,000,000

 

**Location:** Midland Country Club, Midland, MI

 

**Par:** 72

 

**Yardage:** 6,599

 

**History:** This is the 1st year for the event.

 

**Coverage:**

 

Jul 17: The Golf Channel 4:00 pm -6:00 pm (ET)

Jul 18: The Golf Channel 8:00 pm - 10:00 pm (ET)

Jul 19: The Golf Channel 8:00 pm - 10:00 pm (ET)

Jul 20: The Golf Channel 6:00 pm - 8:00 pm (ET)

[Argonne69]

And now for something completely different. Team golf.

 

First, note that the tournament runs Wednesday through Saturday. I assume this is to allow an extra day of travel to the Evian. Only two hours of coverage each day. Oy. The weather forecast looks spotty, with showers and t-storms possible Wednesday, Friday, and Sunday.

 

The field looks decent, with some interesting teams: Ariya and Moriya, Jennifer and Maria, In Gee and Lydia, Nelly and Jessica, Minjee and Jin Young, and Lexi and Cristie. Of course a number of top players are sitting out.

 

I'm going to go with Lexi and Cristie this week. Lexi is playing great golf during the past month, and the two of them have a great team record in the Solheim and IC. Minjee and Jin Young should be a factor.

 

[Stooch]

The TV times are all over the place and only a couple hours a night. This is suppose to be a fun and different new event for fans, I guess the GC didn't get the memo.

 

I'm pulling for Brooke and Alena, more for Alena if Brooke can get hot this week, Alena could sneak herself out an LPGA victory. I like to see the journey women or those who have grind out a 10 plus year career get a little reward.

[18majors]

@Stooch

 

Did you take a look how many hours and how many people from GC/NBC are in Northern Ireland to cover the Open? We're lucky to have any TV coverage at all.

This week belongs to Lydia and In Gee; no other way about it.

[18majors]

This week will be a test of Korda sisterhood!

 

[https://twitter.com/LPGA/status/1150905602392170499](https://twitter.com/LPGA/status/1150905602392170499 "https://twitter.com/LPGA/status/1150905602392170499")

"Sisters definitely. Friends? We'll see."

 

[18majors]

Both Jin Young and Minjee aren't as hot as earlier in the season; will they rise again before the major weeks?

 


 

[Raving Shanker]

This looks like a lot of fun, and i think the players will have that feeling too. There's $2m up for grabs, but it won't put the individual pressure on the player that the standard the stroke tournament does. I am expecting highlights!

From a marketing point of view, the LPGA could/should have a field day with this. The sisters Korda v. Jutanugarn, just for starters, and lots of other tantalising pairings!

My tip is that In Gee will look great.

[Tasals]

> @Stooch said:

> The TV times are all over the place and only a couple hours a night. This is suppose to be a fun and different new event for fans, I guess the GC didn't get the memo.

>

> I'm pulling for Brooke and Alena, more for Alena if Brooke can get hot this week, Alena could sneak herself out an LPGA victory. I like to see the journey women or those who have grind out a 10 plus year career get a little reward.

 

I mean it is going up against The Open for coverage. I would assume that rerunning coverage of the open is worth far more to TGC.

[ChronicSlicer]

Some interesting pairings out there. I most definitely want Jin Young and Minjee to win, but I'm gonna stray from the obvious and go with Angel and Yu. There's some sleepers out there too, Alana Uriell/Youngin Chun, Gillman/Stephenson, Anna/Caroline. I like Megan Khang and Annie Park for a sleeper pick.

 

After coming of a nice T5, I feel bad for Linnea Strom this week..

[JaNelson38]

> @Stooch said:

> The TV times are all over the place and only a couple hours a night. This is suppose to be a fun and different new event for fans, I guess the GC didn't get the memo.

>

NBC is televising the Open Championship this week.

Golf Channel is owned by NBC.

You don't have to be a rocket scientist to determine where NBC is putting most of their golf resources this weekend.

 

The constant complaining about golf on TV is becoming tiresome. To be quite frank, the LPGA should thank its lucky stars that their events are on TV at all, even for just a couple of hours. If Golf Channel didn't exist, probably the only LPGA events that would have a chance to see network coverage would be the majors.

[Stooch]

The best solution to not hear complainig about the LPGA TV time is to not read the LPGA threads. Glad it makes you feel good demeaning womens athletics.

[JaNelson38]

> @Stooch said:

> The best solution to not hear complainig about the LPGA TV time is to not read the LPGA threads. Glad it makes you feel good demeaning womens athletics.

 

Oh please. Nothing I said "demeaned" women's athletics. You ripped GC in your original message for not devoting more TV time to an LPGA event, when it was clear that you didn't even think about the fact that GC/NBC is covering The Open this weekend.

 

You tell me what a better business decision is: covering the most popular major for a worldwide audience from start to finish, or devoting a bunch of resources to a first-time LPGA event. GC also had to devote resources to cover the Barbasol, the regular PGA Tour stop this week. Like I said, its lucky this event is getting any coverage at all....there's only so many resources to go around.

 

If anything, the LPGA was stupid to put an event like this opposite The Open. If they wanted better/deeper coverage in the hopes an event like this would take off, it should have been scheduled for a different weekend.

[18majors]

The magestic and classy duo:

 

[https://twitter.com/LPGA/status/1151188061067325448](https://twitter.com/LPGA/status/1151188061067325448 "https://twitter.com/LPGA/status/1151188061067325448")

"We have a similar game and this golf course suits our style."

 

 

 

 

 

 

[postfold]

> @Argonne69 said:

> I'm going to go with Lexi and Cristie this week. Lexi is playing great golf during the past month, and the two of them have a great team record in the Solheim and IC. Minjee and Jin Young should be a factor.

>

 

This was pretty much exactly my thinking. I'll also be super interested in how the Kordas play as a team. To be differentish I'll be picking Amy Yang and Mirim Lee to win and Brittany Altomare and Elizabeth Szokol to have an unexpected top 5.

[ChronicSlicer]

> @postfold said:

To be differentish I'll be picking Amy Yang and Mirim Lee to win and Brittany Altomare and Elizabeth Szokol to have an unexpected top 5.

 

Oh, I kinda like that pick. Very steady team. Good Luck.

[AWinfortheAges]

The sister teams or the teams with a sister like (mother/daughter in the case of Lexi & Christie Kerr) relationship should have the advantage. As well as teams that have played together. I imagine the Kordas and Jutanugarns can say just about anything to each other and the other person won't be put off by what is said. Same for many of the teams that have played with each other before. Those teammates should know how and when to say the appropriate thing to a teammate to get them pumped up, calmed down, encourage or console.

Despite that advantage, I'm going to pick **Minjee and Jin Young to win**. I think they'll end up playing so well that it will make up for them not having been teammates in the past and it will eliminate their learning curve.

 

Hyo Joo Kim and Eun-Hee Ji, the team no one is talking about, will place second.

The Jutanugarns and Kordas tie for third.

If Gerina wasn't coming off 2MC I'd consider and root for her and Stacy to win, nabbing her 1st win, but I'm going to say they tie for 5th with the over achieving Tiff Joh and Jane Park.

Christie will still have her putter working, but her overall game as of late will hold Lexi back.

I was interested in seeing how Lizette Salas would fair with a competitive Danielle Kang in this format. But with her coming off a WD and possibly with a lingering injury, I don't think we'll get an accurate picture of how she performs in this pairing in stroke play.

[iotone]

Going to put out a Dark Horse pick and go with the Frenchwomen Boutier and Icher. Although, I can't say Icher has been playing well lately and maybe Boutier's win was so long ago but you never know with the team events.

[Stooch]

And they have to go wreck this promising event with walk-up music lol

[Mellow]

There are a few teams I really like... I'm going with Lydia + In Gee, because no matter what happens, they will both stay positive and supportive! That's a real advantage in a team setup. No worries about blaming or second guessing, or an argument meltdown.

 

It's interesting seeing the different teams and knowing the story behind some, but others are totally unknown to me. Even more than usual, the absence of some players really hurts - because don't get to see who they would've teamed with.

 

I do applaud them for trying a different format. It's a brave thing to do with your event when real money and effort are on the line.

[fanofseri]

It's impossible to root against P.K. and Muni.

 

[broadbandz]

> @postfold said:

> > @Argonne69 said:

> > I'm going to go with Lexi and Cristie this week. Lexi is playing great golf during the past month, and the two of them have a great team record in the Solheim and IC. Minjee and Jin Young should be a factor.

> >

>

> This was pretty much exactly my thinking. I'll also be super interested in how the Kordas play as a team. To be differentish I'll be picking Amy Yang and Mirim Lee to win and Brittany Altomare and Elizabeth Szokol to have an unexpected top 5.

 

love the Amy Yang and Mirim Lee pick. they are magic together.

[Argonne69]

The early groups are out on the course. Anyone have any idea what format they're using? Lord forbid it's clearly noted on the LPGA website.

 

'Strange that they have an odd number of teams. I assume the Adams/Tan team is going out solo with a marker.

[North Texas]

Okay, dumb question time. But what the format and is the same everyday?

 

[Argonne69]

> @"North Texas" said:

> Okay, dumb question time. But what the format and is the same everyday?

>

 

I couldn't find the info on the website, but I thought I had read that they are using the same format as the PGA Zurich Classic, alternate shot (foursome) for rounds one and three, and better ball (fourball) for the 2nd and final rounds.

 

[broadbandz]

> @fanofseri said:

> It's impossible to root against P.K. and Muni.

>

>

 

Su Hyun and Mel Reid are the odd couple as well. I dont think I have ever seen them hang out on social media.

[Argonne69]

'Not a big fan of alternate shot. As a fan, I like to see each player hit shots on every hole. If they want to add a level of difficulty to it, they should use a reverse scramble format, aka worst ball, for two rounds.

[Argonne69]

Ariya and Moriya are +2 after six holes. 'Don't want to dig too deep a hole on the first day.

[Stooch]

Yeah, alternate shot can bury you in a hurry with a bad stretch, Megan Khang and Annie Park tripled the Par 3 18th ......... sucks when you both lose the plot on the same hole.

[AWinfortheAges]

> @Stooch said:

> Yeah, alternate shot can bury you in a hurry with a bad stretch, Megan Khang and Annie Park tripled the Par 3 18th ......... sucks when you both lose the plot on the same hole.

 

Maybe they and the Jutanugarns both went into the drink off the tee. It's an island green.

[Argonne69]

Team Canada with a solid 5 under start. That's impressive. Jennifer and Hee Young are lighting it up in the afternoon, currently -4 after nine holes.