When Nelly Korda and Olivia Cowan paired up for the Dow Championship, the golf became secondary. Team 'Legally Blond', composed of Nelly Korda and Olivia Cowan, recently elaborated on their pre-tournament experience.

After participating in this championship in 2022, Nelly Korda will make her way back to the event as World No. 1. She has officially announced that she will form a pair with World No. 182, Olivia Cowan. In their press conference ahead of the event on June 9, 2026, Cowan talked about the beginning of their partnership.

"We played together in Portland... And we just had a really good time. It feels like we weren't even concentrating on the golf, we were just chatting the whole time," she shared. 

Their friendship began many years ago at Aramco in Spain, according to the press conference exchanges. The shared love for coffee and croissants during a tour swing in Asia strengthened their friendship further.

During the initial practice round, they focused not only on studying the territory but also on developing a good content strategy. They spent significant time picking a great walk-up song, too.

Moreover, Cowan even managed to influence Korda's outfit choice for the tournament week.

Korda jokingly admitted, "Olivia is the only person that will get me to wear all pink."

This playful coordination highlights their tight bond as they chase success together.

Nelly Korda and Olivia Cowan Chasing Victory in Midland

The 2026 Dow Championship comes with a purse worth $3.3 million, to be played for at Midland Country Club. The victorious pairing would receive a first-place prize of $805,381, in addition to the necessary exemptions.

Cowan has been successful in making all three cuts this year at the tournaments she's played, earning prize money worth $37,458. Partnering up with Korda gives Cowan an excellent chance to record her first-ever win on the LPGA Tour.

Korda seems to be in form entering this week, having claimed her second major title of 2026 at the U.S. Women's Open and four wins out of eight tournaments. Her lowest tournament finish in 2026 was a strong T-8 placement back in May in the Kroger Queen City Championship.

While no world ranking points are on the line, Korda emphasized the event's high stakes.

"At the end of the day I'm, we both are very competitive, and we want to play really well," she said.

The format of the tournament involves playing rounds of alternate-shot four-player games and four-ball games.

Cowan echoed this vital team sentiment during her media availability.

She noted, "It's just nice to have a week where you have a teammate, and you feel like you can conquer it together." 

The competitive pair will take part in the tournament under the team nickname 'Legally Blonde'. Fans will have a chance to see them work seamlessly on the course as the actual competition begins this Thursday.

Do you think Nelly Korda and Olivia Cowan will be able to clinch the 2026 Dow Championship win? Let us know in the comments.

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Written by

Abhishek Sharma

Edited by

Surjo Ray