Jin Hee Im and Somi Lee Win the 2025 Dow Championship via Playoff
By Jeremy Friedman
MIDLAND, Mich. – It took one extra hole to determine the winners of the 2025 Dow Championship, where Somi Lee drained an eight-foot birdie on the par-3 18th hole to secure the win for her and her teammate, fellow South Koren Jin Hee Im. It was the first LPGA Tour win for the duo, who affectionately called themselves “Team BTI.”
They denied Lexi Thompson’s opportunity to get her first LPGA win in six years, as her partner Megan Khang missed a 5-foot birdie putt to extend the playoff to a second hole.
“I can’t believe it,” said Lee. “Last year was our rookie season. The LPGA is very tough and different from the KLPGA. Now we are winners.”
“This tournament is really special,” said Im. “I like this course…a really fun course.”
Both teams finished at 20-under par during regulation of play. Thompson and Khang turned in a 10-under par 60 in Sunday’s fourball format, including a closing birdie on the 18th hole to reach 20-under.
Im and Lee, who birdied five of their first eight holes to move quickly up the leaderboard after starting the day one shot of the lead, recorded birdies en-route to an 8-under par 62 on Sunday. On the 17th hole, Lee tied the lead with a 10-foot birdie putt, and both missed birdie opportunities on the 18th hole to win the championship.
On the first playoff hole, which switched to foursomes, Thompson hit her tee-shot on the par-3 18th to five feet. Im’s tee shot went eight feet past the pin, setting up birdie chances for both.
Lee made the putt. Khang did not.
“I’m a little sad on this end, to be honest,” said Khang. “Honestly, if you had told us we were going to go out and shoot 10-under at the start of the day and go into a playoff, I would have taken it. I kind of died mid-round, and Lexi kind of sparked us up again. That’s what you do in partner situations.
“We’re honored to be part of the first playoff, but hopefully we’ll get on the other end of this one year,” Khang continued.
“What Dow does for this tournament, just gives women’s golf an opportunity to play team golf and really bring the fans behind it, it’s truly amazing,” said Thompson. “To be alongside Megan, it was so much fun. I knew going into the week that it would be fun no matter how we played, because we get along so well. She played some amazing golf and we made a great team out there.”
Lindy Duncan and Miranda Wang finished in a tie for third after shooting an 11-under par 59 in the fourball format to finish at 18-under par. Manon De Roey and Paulin Roussin-Bouchard also finished T3 after an 8-under par 64.
The Dow Championship, the LPGA’s only official team event, is now in its sixth year. Lee and Im took home first prize checks of $399,510 each.
