Matilda Castren, Kelly Tan pick up where they left off at LPGA’s Dow Great Lakes

The Dow Great Lakes Bay Invitational is the second of three team events on the LPGA schedule in 2023.

Thailand won the Hanwha Lifeplus International Crown earlier this year. In September, of course, is the Solheim Cup. Both of those events are based on teams made of players from the same country.

This week, at the Dow at Midland Country Club in Midland, Michigan, the players get to make their own teams and one of the more interesting duos is the pairing of Brooke Henderson and Lexi Thompson, who are teaming up for the first time.

A year ago, the duo of Matilda Castren and Kelly Tan got off to a lukewarm start with a 69 in the opening round, but got progressively hotter through the week, posting rounds of 61 and 62 en route to a second-place finish behind champs Jennifer Kupcho and Lizette Salas.

But this year, Castren and Tan picked up right where they left off, using a 64 to get out to a one-stroke lead over Amelia Lewis and Paula Reto.

“I felt like I was way more comfortable today than last year the first round, but I think that helps, and also knowing those good memories,” Tan said, soon after the duo birdied four of the last six holes to storm into the lead.

“And, you know, you go up to the hole, and you kind of are saying, oh, last year I chipped in from here and stuff like that. You have those good memories, so that helps with … actually calms me down and makes me happy and excited all day.

“I felt like we gelled really well today, honestly. She struck the ball so good. I had the chance to make the putt. And, I mean, I think vice versa. We both played pretty good today. There’s no complaints.”

Meanwhile, the Swedish team of Linnea Johansson and Linnea Strom had a wild ride with three bogeys and seven birdies in a colorful card, but the tandem is just two shots off the pace.

If the team can prove victorious, it would make for quite a stretch for Swedish golf as countryman Linn Grant secured her first victory last weekend at the Dana Open. 

“Every time a Swedish player wins on any tour it’s great, and both of us were lucky to be there. It’s not every week you can be there when someone wins. So we decided to stay and be there for Linn, and it was just an incredible performance. It’s always fun to see someone play so well,” Johansson said. “When I left Sunday, we drove here in the car, and I said, like, Hey, we just have to ride on this. We’re all there for each other and support each other. We are trying to do whatever we can to ride on her great performance from last week.”

“Yeah, I agree,” Strom added. “It just gives so much energy and so much fun to be there on the 18 to watch her win. I think we just have a little bit of energy from last week. We got to do that together, you know, especially for her. It was pretty cool. It’s a lot of fun.”

“Gives me chills just talking about it,” Johansson said.

As for that Thompson/Henderson team, they posted a 3-over 73 on Thursday, nine shots off the pace.