Americans Dominate LPGA’s International Crown, Win Fourth Match

UPDATE: The United States has achieved a stunning victory at the LPGA’s International Crown tournament, winning its fourth consecutive fourball match and remaining undefeated in the prestigious team event. This latest triumph took place on November 4, 2023, in Goyang, South Korea, marking a critical moment as the Americans hand No. 1-ranked Jeeno Thitikul her first loss in the competition.

In a thrilling match, American duo Yealimi Noh and Angel Yin defeated Thitikul and her teammate Pajaree Anannarukarn with a decisive score of 5 and 4. This loss ended Thitikul’s impressive streak of six consecutive match wins, underscoring the intensity of the competition.

Shortly after, Lilia Vu and Lauren Coughlin further solidified the U.S. lead by defeating Chanettee Wannasaen and Jasmine Suwannapura 3 and 2. The Americans now lead Pool A with a total of four points, positioning themselves for a strong chance at advancing to Sunday’s semifinals.

The action-packed tournament continues as all eight teams prepare for a third set of fourball matches scheduled for Saturday. Earlier on Friday, Australia and China split their matches, showcasing the competitiveness of Pool A. Minjee Lee and Stephanie Kyriacou secured a victory for Australia, defeating Zhang Weiwei and Liu Yan 2 and 1, while China’s Yin Ruoning and Ruixin Liu triumphed over Australians Hannah Green and Grace Kim in a nail-biting 1-up finish.

In Pool B, Japan and Sweden also faced off, with Japan’s Miyu Yamashita and Rio Takeda claiming victory over Madelene Sagstrom and Ingrid Lindblad 3 and 2. However, Sweden’s Maja Stark and Linn Grant responded with a win, defeating Mao Saigo and Ayaka Furue by the same margin.

Currently, South Korea is competing against a World Team that includes notable players such as New Zealander Lydia Ko. Canadian Brooke Henderson and England’s Charley Hull are also in action in their Pool B matches.

The tournament format pits seven countries and a “rest of the world” team against each other in two pools: the U.S., China, Australia, and Thailand in Pool A, and South Korea, the World team, Japan, and Sweden in Pool B. The top two teams from each pool will advance to the semifinals, culminating in a final that features one alternate shot match and two singles matches.

With just one day left of preliminary matches, the stakes have never been higher. Fans are eagerly anticipating whether the United States can continue its dominance and secure a spot in the finals. Last week, Sei Young Kim claimed victory at the BMW Ladies Championship, also held in South Korea, further emphasizing the strong performance of players on the Asian swing of the LPGA.

As excitement builds for the upcoming matches, all eyes will be on the U.S. team as they aim to maintain their perfect record and clinch a championship title in the International Crown.