MIDLAND, Michigan — Bianca Pagdanganan and Thailand’s Chanettee Wannasaen stayed within striking distance after carding a 2-over-par 72 in Thursday’s opening round of the Dow Championship at Midland Country Club, beginning their campaign in the LPGA Tour’s only official team event with a steady but challenging start.

Playing under the tournament’s difficult alternate-shot (foursomes) format, where partners take turns hitting the same ball, the Filipino-Thai duo combined for one birdie against two bogeys to finish the day tied for 34th place.

Pagdanganan and Wannasaen are currently five shots behind the leaders, but with three rounds remaining, they remain well-positioned to climb the leaderboard.

The Dow Championship, a 72-hole team stroke-play event, opened with one of golf’s toughest formats, rewarding teamwork and punishing even the smallest mistakes. The tournament will shift Friday to the more aggressive four-ball (best-ball) format, where each player plays her own ball and the lower score counts — a setup that could favor power hitters like Pagdanganan.

Sharing the first-round lead at 3-under-par 67 were three newly formed pairings: Hira Naveed and Gurleen Kaur, Gemma Dryburgh and Nicole Broch Estrup, and LPGA rookies Michelle Zhang and Camille Boyd.

Dryburgh and Broch Estrup grabbed the early clubhouse lead after combining for five birdies and two bogeys in their first event together. The round was especially memorable as Dryburgh celebrated her 33rd birthday, while both players are also new mothers, having each welcomed sons earlier this year.

Zhang and Boyd, two LPGA rookies who call themselves “The Baddies,” matched the lead after an aggressive opening stretch. Despite an early stumble with a bogey, the pair bounced back quickly to stay atop the leaderboard.

In the afternoon wave, Naveed and Kaur joined the leaders after firing four birdies against just one bogey, marking the first time Naveed has held a share of the lead in her LPGA Tour career.

Just one stroke back at 2-under 68 are five teams, including notable pairings Leona Maguire and Lauren Duncan, as well as Linn Grant and Maja Stark.

With Friday’s best-ball round expected to produce much lower scores, Pagdanganan and Wannasaen will have a prime opportunity to make a charge and move closer to contention heading into the weekend.