Americans beat China twice.
Thitikul stays perfect at LPGA's International Crown team event
[October 23, 2025]
GOYANG, South Korea (AP) — The United States beat China twice
in fourball matches Thursday on the first day of the LPGA's
International Crown tournament while world No. 1-ranked Jeeno
Thitikul remained perfect at the team event.
Thitikul and partner Pajaree Anannarukarn of Thailand beat Hannah
Green and Grace Kim of Australia 1-up at the New Korea Country Club.
It was Thitikul's sixth consecutive win at the team competition.
The win came after Australia’s Minjee Lee and Steph Kyriacou beat
Chanettee Wannasaen and Jasmine Suwannapura 2-up to split the points
with Thailand on the opening day.
Americans Yealimi Noh and Angel Yin routed Liu Yan and Yin Ruoning
of China 5 and 4 and later Lilia Vu and Lauren Coughlin beat Zhang
Weiwei and Liu Ruixin 1-up.
The U.S. was the only team to have won both its opening matches.
Japan led the World team early in both fourball matches but Charley
Hull and Lydia Ko birdied the final hole for a tie with Rio Takeda
and Miyu Yamashita. Then Brooke Henderson and Wei-Ling Hsu rallied
for a 2 and 1 win over Ayaka Furue and Mao Saigo to pick up 1.5
points against their opponents.
South Korea earns 1.5 points
The host team got off to a good start when South Korea's Hyo Joo Kim
and Hye-Jin Choi beat Sweden's Maja Stark and Linn Grant 3 and 2.
Then Jin Young Ko and Haeran Ryu finished tied with Ingrid Lindblad
and Madelene Sagstrom.
Under the tournament format, seven countries and a “rest of the
world” team compete 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 teams and their players were determined by the
women’s world ranking.
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Members of team Australia, from left, Grace Kim, Minjee Lee, Steph
Kyriacou and Hannah Green pose during the photocall for the LPGA
International Crown golf tournament at the New Korea Country Club in
Goyang, South Korea, Wednesday, Oct. 22, 2025. (AP Photo/Lee
Jin-man)
The addition of a world team allows for players
such as Ko of New Zealand and Henderson of Canada to play in the
tournament.
4-ball matches continue over next 2 days
Fourball matches continue on Friday and Saturday. The top two
countries from each pool advance to Sunday's semifinals and finals
that consist of one foursomes (alternate shot) and two singles
matches.
Thitikul was a member of the Thai team in 2023 which won the
International Crown at TPC Harding Park in San Francisco and is the
only player in the field who has won the event.
Thitikul is a six-time winner on the LGPA tour, including wins this
season at the Mizuho Americas Open and the Shanghai tournament two
weeks ago.
Last week Sei Young Kim won the BMW Ladies Championship, also in
South Korea. The LPGA's Asian swing continues in Kuala Lumpur,
Malaysia next week and concludes in Shiga, Japan from Nov. 6-9.
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