Schmelzel and Valenzuela Lead the Dow Championship
In a standout performance during the third round of the Dow Championship, Sarah Schmelzel and Albane Valenzuela took the lead, positioning themselves for what could be their first victory on the LPGA Tour. The duo completed the round with a score of 68 strokes, two under par, in an alternate shot game. This performance allowed them to accumulate a total of 13 under par, with a score of 197 at the Midland Country Club, preparing for the final round in a best-ball format.The team comprised of Jin Hee Im and Somi Lee, along with Manon De Roey and Pauline Roussin-Bouchard, were positioned one stroke away, demonstrating strong competition in the tournament.“You’re a little on edge most of the day, just hoping not to get your partner in trouble. Super solid. I feel like we had really good attitudes all day. I think we both took every shot as it came.”
Sarah Schmelzel
Jennifer Kupcho and Leona Maguire, who were leading after the second round, finished with a 72, tying for fourth place with Lauren Hartlage and Brooke Matthews, as well as Sung Hyun Park and Ina Yoon.“I am very proud of us. We endured. We fought until the end”.
Manon De Roey
Lexi Thompson and Megan Kang, along with Rio Takeda and Miyu Yamashita, also stood out in the competition, staying in the fight for the title. The current champions, Ruoning Yin and Jeeno Thitikul, proved their worth by placing among the best, with a score of 9 under par. Schmelzel and Valenzuela managed to stay calm at the end of the last seven rounds with pars. Their performance included four birdies and two bogeys.“Just trying to play under and trying to get a number early and see what happens. I think it was good to see two putts go in at the end”.
Leona Maguire
“I feel like we had a really good day. Our goal in foursomes was just to get a couple or maybe a little bit better. We had some mistakes, and that’s going to happen in this format. We also did a lot of really good things”.
Albane Valenzuela
