Aussies clinch first LPGA International Crown

Australia captured its first-ever LPG A(Ladies Professional Golf Association) International Crown title on Sunday, defeating the United States in a thrilling finale at the New Korea Country Club. Minjee Lee and Hannah Green were the stars for the Australians, winning both of their singles matches 2 and 1 against Angel Yin and Yealimi Noh, respectively, to secure the historic victory.

The final began with a tightly contested foursomes match between Stephanie Kyriacou and Grace Kim of Australia and the U.S. pairing of Lilia Vu and Lauren Coughlin, which ended in a tie. However, the result was rendered inconsequential when Green clinched the decisive win at the 17th hole in her singles match, sealing the championship for Australia.

This victory marks Australia’s first triumph in the match-play tournament, having previously fallen short in 2023 when Thailand, led by world No. 1 Jeeno Thitikul, defeated them in the final at San Francisco’s TPC Harding Park.

The World team finished in third place after Charley Hull and Lydia Ko delivered strong performances against Japan. Hull opened with a 4 and 3 win over Ayaka Furue, followed by Ko’s 3 and 2 victory over Rio Takeda, securing an unassailable lead for the World team. Japan had earlier narrowed the gap with a 4 and 3 foursomes win by Mao Saigo and Miyu Yamashita over Brooke Henderson and Wei-Ling Hsu.

The semifinal round had seen Australia earn their spot in the final with a dramatic 20th-hole victory in the foursomes against the World team’s Wei-Ling Hsu and Ko. Hull had initially put the World team ahead by edging Green 2 and 1, but Lee’s resilience in her singles match against Canada’s Henderson leveled the score and ensured Australia advanced.

Meanwhile, the top-seeded United States team reached the final with relative ease. Yin’s 2 and 1 singles win over Japan’s Takeda and Noh’s 4 and 2 victory over Miyu Yamashita secured the Americans’ place. Japan ended the U.S. team’s perfect run with a narrow 1-up win in the foursomes.

The International Crown features seven national teams and a “rest of the world” team, determined by women’s world rankings. Teams compete in two pools, with the top two from each pool advancing to the semifinals and final, which include one foursomes match and two singles matches.

The LPGA’s Asian swing continues next week in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, and will conclude in Shiga, Japan, from November 6-9.