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LPGA: Here are 10 teams to watch this week, featuring stars Nelly Korda, Jessica Korda, Lexi Thompson, Annika Sorenstam, Karrie Webb and Leona Maguire

Beth Ann Nichols
·5 min read
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The 2022 Dow Great Lakes Bay Invitational will feature a wonderful blend of past and present. While sisters Nelly Korda and Lexi Thompson are two the biggest names on the current tour, Annika Sorenstam and Karrie Webb are two of the biggest names of all time. They’ll all be in action in the same field this Wednesday-Saturday at the LPGA’s only team event.

This year, 72 two-person teams will vie for a purse of $2.5 million at Midland Country Club in Michigan. The victory will be considered an official LPGA title.

Here are 10 teams to keep an eye on this week, with Rolex Ranking in parenthesis:

Nelly Korda (3)/Jessica Korda (14)

LPGA: Solheim Cup - First Day - Foursomes
LPGA: Solheim Cup - First Day - Foursomes

Nelly Korda (left) of Team USA walks with sister and playing partner Jessica Korda on the sixteenth hole during the morning foursomes of the 2021 Solheim Cup at Inverness Club. (Photo by Raj Mehta/USA TODAY Sports)

The Korda sisters will team up for a third time at Midland Country Club. The pair tied for 12th in 2019 and tied for 17th last year at the Dow.

In the Solheim Cup, the sisters are 2-1-0 in foursomes in two appearances.

Annika Sorenstam (N/R)/Madelene Sagstrom (31)

Annika Sörenstam of Sweden plays her shot from the second tee during the second round of the 2022 Hilton Grand Vacations Tournament of Champions at Lake Nona Golf & Country Club on January 21, 2022 in Orlando, Florida. (Photo by Julio Aguilar/Getty Images)

Annika Sorenstam, the most decorated player in the modern era, will pair up with fellow Swede Madelene Sagstrom, who broke through on the LPGA in 2020. Sagstrom grew up idolizing the legendary Swede and competed in her events.

Ariya Jutanugarn (50)/Moriya Jutanugarn (53)

Ariya Jutanugarn (L) and Moriya Jutanugarn walks of Thailand during the final round of the Honda LPGA Thailand at the Siam Country Club Pattaya on February 24, 2019 in Chonburi, Thailand. (Photo by Thananuwat Srirasant/Getty Images)

The 2021 Dow champions shot 59 – twice! – in best-ball play for a three-stroke victory. Together, they have 14 LPGA victories.

Karrie Webb (912)/Marina Alex (29)

U.S. Women's Open
U.S. Women's Open

Karrie Webb tees off on the 3rd hole during the second round of the U.S. Women’s Open golf tournament at Country Club of Charleston. (Photo by Jasen Vinlove/USA TODAY Sports)

Australian legend Karrie Webb will make her debut in the Dow team event with good friend Marina Alex, who won earlier this year in California for her second LPGA title. Webb, 47, has teed it up on the LPGA twice this season, most recently the ShopRite LPGA Classic.

Lexi Thompson (6)/Brittany Altomare (69)

Lexi Thompson of Team USA and Brittany Altomare of Team USA react on the second hole during the first round of the Solheim Cup at the Inverness Club on September 04, 2021 in Toledo, Ohio. (Photo by Maddie Meyer/Getty Images)

Lexi Thompson and Brittany Altomare have teamed up together in two Solheim Cups in the foursomes format, combining for a 1-2-0 record. While Altomare hasn’t placed in the top 10 since April, Thompson comes in off a heartbreaking runner-up finish at the KPMG Women’s PGA.

Leona Maguire (19)/Mel Reid (109)

The Solheim Cup 2021
The Solheim Cup 2021

Mel Reid of Team Europe and Leona Maguire of Team Europe hug after winning the hole on the 18th green during the first round of the Solheim Cup at the Inverness Club on September 04, 2021 in Toledo, Ohio. (Photo by Maddie Meyer/Getty Images)

Successful European pairing at 2021 Solheim Cup went 2-0-1 together in foursomes and four-balls. Loads of fire in this pairing.

Jasmine Suwannapura (119)/Cydney Clanton (240)

Teammates Cydney Clanton of the United States (R) and Jasmine Suwannapura of Thailand celebrate on the 18th green after winning the Dow Great Lakes Bay Invitational at Midland Country Club on July 19, 2019 in Midland, Michigan. (Photo by Gregory Shamus/Getty Images)

Why are two players ranked outside the top 100 on this list? Because they won this event together in 2019 and finished runner-up in 2021. It was Clanton’s only LPGA title and revitalized her career; Suwannapura has two career victories.

Stacy Lewis (74)/Maria Fassi (153)

Stacy Lewis watches her shot off the 11th tee during the practice round of the KPMG Women’s PGA Championship at Congressional Country Club on June 22, 2022 in Bethesda, Maryland. (Photo by Elsa/Getty Images)

The two former Razorbacks teamed up in 2021 at the Dow, and Maria Fassi walked away a changed player, learning much from the former No. 1. Perhaps the experience will ignite the second half of Fassi’s 2022 season in a similar way.

Jennifer Kupcho (9)/Lizette Salas (40)

Jennifer Kupcho and Lizette Salas of Team USA react after their win on the 17th hole during the Foursomes Match on day two of the Solheim Cup at the Inverness Club on September 5, 2021, in Toledo, Ohio. (Photo by Gregory Shamus/Getty Images)

Jennifer Kupcho and Lizette Salas because fast friends through their experience being in the same pod at the Solheim Cup. The duo played together three times at Inverness, compiling a 2-1-0 record.

A Lim Kim (41)/Yealimi Noh (75)

KPMG Women's PGA Championship
KPMG Women's PGA Championship

Yealimi Noh plays her shot from the second tee during the first round of the KPMG Women’s PGA Championship at Atlanta Athletic Club on June 24, 2021 in Johns Creek, Georgia. (Photo by Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images)

A Lim Kim and Yealimi Noh tied for third together at this event last year. Neither have played particularly well coming into this week. Perhaps they can find some momentum.

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