Team USA wins fourth consecutive four-ball title at LPGA International Championship
GOYANG, South Korea — The United States maintained perfect form at the LPGA International Crown Championship on Friday, winning the third and fourth four-ball matches and ending top-ranked Gino Titicul’s unbeaten streak in the team event.
Americans Yealimi Noh and Angel Yin defeated Thitikul and Pajaree Anannarukarn 5-4, Thitikul’s first loss after six consecutive wins in the event. Lilia Vu and Lauren Coughlin then defeated Chanettee Wannasaen and Jasmine Suwannapura 3-2 at New Korea Country Club to win the second four-ball match for Team USA.
The top-seeded United States defeated China twice on Thursday. The United States is the only undefeated team in the tournament, leading Group A by four points and clinching a spot in Sunday’s semifinals.
All eight teams will play Group Three four-ball matches on Saturday.
Australia and China will play a Group A four-ball match on Friday. Li Minzhi/Stephanie Kiriakou defeated Zhang Weiwei/Liu Yan 2-1, and the Chinese combination Yin Ruoning/Liu Ruixin defeated the Australian combination Hannah Green/Grace King 1-1.
In Group B, Japan and Sweden also played equally on Friday. Miyu Yamashita and Rio Takeda defeated Madelene Sagstrom and Ingrid Lindblad 3-2, but it was Maja Stark and Linn Grant who defeated Mao Saigo and Ayaka Furue 3-2 to seal the victory for Sweden.
The World Team scored 1 point against South Korea 1-2 and led Group B with 3 points from 2 wins and 2 draws.
England’s Charlie Hull made a 12-foot birdie putt on the 18th hole as she and world teammate Lydia Ko of New Zealand beat Hyo Joo Kim and Hye-Jin Choi by one shot. Jin Young Ko and Haeran Ryu tied with Taiwan’s Wei-Ling Hsu and Canada’s Brooke Henderson.
“I managed to hit it, but I didn’t want to hit it too hard because I didn’t want the fiddler to come back,” Hull said. “So I just wanted to dig it out and save some stress.”
According to the competition format, seven countries and one “Rest of the World” team will compete in two groups. Participating teams and players are determined by the Women’s World Rankings.
The top two national teams in each group advance to Sunday’s semifinals and finals, which include a foursomes match (alternating shooting) and two singles matches.
Sei Young Kim won the BMW Women’s Championship in South Korea last week. The LPGA Asia Tour continues next week in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, and concludes in Shiga, Japan, from November 6-9.
