MIDLAND, Mich. (AP) — Nelly Korda found the perfect tonic for the week after the biggest win of her career. The U.S. Women’s Open champion is playing with good friend Olivia Cowan of Germany in the Dow Championship, two shots out of the lead Friday held by Polly Mack and Celine Borge.
The final two days at Midland Country Club also includes Juli Inkster, the 66-year-old Hall of Famer who became the oldest player to make the cut when she teamed with 27-year-old Angel Yin for a 68 in fourballs.
“I’m happy I played,” said Inkster, born 10 years after the LPGA was founded. “Sometimes you’ve got to put yourself out there and I felt like I did that this week.”
Mack and Borge were among the late starters and posted a 60 to reach 12-under 128 and zoom past the Japanese duo of Ayaka Furue and Yuna Nishimura (61).
Korda and Cowan shot 60 to finish two shots behind, with Korda doing most of the damage and Cowan stepping in for a 20-foot birdie putt on their final hole.
“We just wanted to go out and have some fun. That’s when we play our best,” Korda said. “Last week was a great week. This is the perfect week to back up that week. It’s just a little more relaxed. It’s been a blast.”
Korda said there wasn’t a lot of golf talk, mostly trying to finish to get lunch and head for their favorite coffee shop.
The U.S. Women’s Open at Riviera was her fourth win of the year, and fourth career major, solidifying her perch atop women’s golf. She played the part most of the second round in fourballs with several birdie putts.
“Nelly made a lot of putts today,” Cowan said. “I felt like I needed to make the last one.”
JoAnne Carner holds the LPGA record for individual events, making the cut in 2004 at age 64. The Dow Championship counts as official, so Inkster goes into the record book as the oldest.
This also could be a big week for Cowan, who would get a two-year exemption on the LPGA if she and Korda were to win.
AP golf: https://apnews.com/hub/golf
Nelly Korda lines up her putt on the 17th hole during the first round of the Dow Championship LPGA golf tournament, Thursday, June 11, 2026, at Midland Country Club in Midland, Mich. (AP Photo/Al Goldis)
Olivia Cowan, of Germany, hits on the 17th hole during the first round of the Dow Championship LPGA golf tournament, Thursday, June 11, 2026, at Midland Country Club in Midland, Mich. (AP Photo/Al Goldis)
CHICAGO (AP) — Chase Meidroth had three hits and two RBIs, and the Chicago White Sox beat the depleted Los Angeles Dodgers 8-2 on Friday night in a matchup of division leaders.
Andrew Benintendi homered as Chicago improved to 19-3 in its last 22 home games. Miguel Vargas hit a tiebreaking RBI double, and Anthony Kay (6-1) struck out seven in five effective innings.
Los Angeles played without Shohei Ohtani, who was sidelined by left knee inflammation. Ohtani, who is batting .400 (8 for 20) with three homers and seven RBIs in his last five games, is day to day.
Santiago Espinal, who subbed for Ohtani at designated hitter, drove in two runs on an early single. Roki Sasaki (3-4) allowed seven runs and seven hits in 4 1/3 innings for the NL West leaders.
Chicago sent 11 batters to the plate while scoring seven times in the fifth, delighting a sellout crowd of 37,882 at Rate Field.
Vargas' opposite-field drive off the wall in right-center lifted the White Sox to a 3-2 lead. Back-to-back walks for Colson Montgomery and Braden Montgomery produced another run.
Meidroth then greeted Blake Treinen with a two-run single. One batter later, Tristan Peters tacked on a two-run triple for the surprising AL Central leaders.
Meidroth is batting .340 (16 for 47) during a 12-game hitting streak. He has reached base safely in 22 straight games.
Vargas had three hits against his former team. The infielder was traded from the Dodgers to the White Sox in July 2024.
Sasaki struck out four and walked three. The Japanese right-hander went 2-0 with a 1.48 ERA in his previous four starts.
Yoshinobu Yamamoto (6-4, 2.68 ERA) starts for the Dodgers on Saturday, and fellow right-hander Sean Burke (3-3, 3.88 ERA) takes the mound for the White Sox.
AP MLB: https://apnews.com/hub/mlb
Chicago White Sox's Miguel Vargas hits a RBI double during the fifth inning of a baseball game against the Los Angeles Dodgers, Friday, June 12, 2026, in Chicago. (AP Photo/Melissa Tamez)
Los Angeles Dodgers' Roki Sasaki exits the game during the fifth inning of a baseball game against the Chicago White Sox, Friday, June 12, 2026, in Chicago. (AP Photo/Melissa Tamez)
Los Angeles Dodgers' Roki Sasaki exits the game during the fifth inning of a baseball game against the Chicago White Sox, Friday, June 12, 2026, in Chicago. (AP Photo/Melissa Tamez)
Chicago White Sox's Miguel Vargas (20) celebrates after hitting a RBI double during the fifth inning of a baseball game against the Los Angeles Dodgers, Friday, June 12, 2026, in Chicago. (AP Photo/Melissa Tamez)
Chicago White Sox's Chase Meidroth scores on Tristan Peters two run RBI triple during the fifth inning of a baseball game against the Los Angeles Dodgers, Friday, June 12, 2026, in Chicago. (AP Photo/Melissa Tamez)
