Dow Event Marks Emotional Return For Flood-Ravaged Midland

An aerial view of the Tittabawassee River after it breached a dam on May 19, 2020 near Midland, Michigan. Thousands of residents were ordered to evacuate, homes were swept away and the Midland Country Club was severely damaged. Photo: Gregory Shamus, Getty Images

MIDLAND, MICHIGAN | Most eyes have turned to southern England where the long-awaited Open Championship has come back in full force to the sand-lined shores, a healthy morning walk from the White Cliffs of Dover. Seeing those grandstands and hearing the proper British applause brings a flood of emotions, more than anyone expected. Golf in full is finally back. We didn’t realize how much we missed her.

But the R&A and Royal St. George’s warrant runner-up honors in the comeback-of-the-year contest. That trophy, if it existed, would go to the small town of Midland, Michigan, the Midland Country Club and their benefactor, the Dow Chemical Company, which is the title sponsor of this week’s Dow Great...