Yana Wilson and Gina Kim brought their golf journeys full circle this week, teaming up to win the 2026 Dow Championship and claim their first LPGA Tour victories. Long before celebrating at Midland Country Club, both players had already made memories on golf’s greatest stage at Augusta National Golf Club.
Yana Wilson was a two-time Drive, Chip and Putt National Champion, winning the Girls 12-13 division in both 2019 and 2021. She later returned as an Augusta National Women’s Amateur competitor from 2022 through 2024.
Gina Kim finished fourth in the Girls 14-15 division at the 2015 Drive, Chip and Putt National Finals. She went on to compete in the Augusta National Women’s Amateur in 2019 and 2021.
Their paths eventually converged on the LPGA Tour, where Wilson and Kim combined for a 17-under-par total to win the Dow Championship by two strokes. At just 19-years-old, Wilson became the youngest champion in tournament history, while the victory marked a long-awaited breakthrough for both players.
Their win is another reminder that junior golf experiences like Drive, Chip and Putt can help lay the foundation for future success. For Wilson and Kim, it is the latest chapter in a journey that began years ago on the road to Augusta National and has now culminated in the LPGA winner’s circle.
