Something new is coming to the LPGA Tour next year. A new teams event, the Dow Great Lakes Bay Invitational, will be played in July 2019. The tournament will see 72 two-player teams play 72 holes at Midland Country Club in Michigan. Though the tour has not yet announced how the teams will be decided, the pairs will compete in two different formats – foursomes and four-ball.
In the creation of this new event, the tour drew some inspiration from the US PGA Tour’s Zurich Classic, which adopted the two-player team concept in 2017. More importantly, though, the focus was to get a team event on the schedule.
“Our players and fans have consistently asked about a team event on the LPGA. I know our players will enjoy this event, as much as our fans,” said LPGA commissioner Mike Whan in a press release. “Personally, I can’t wait for 2019.”
This will be the first LPGA event at Midland and is likely to be one of three events in Michigan on the tour’s 2019 schedule. The par-70 course opened in 1928 and has seen several redesigns since then. The most iconic architectural feature is the island green on the par-3 18th hole.
During the event, which will take place July 17-20, all spectators under the age of 17 will be admitted for free.
