Hosts South Korea got off to the perfect start at the LPGA International Crown team competition yesterday, winning both their matches against Taiwan, while defending champions the US split the points with Sweden.
World No. 1 Park Sung-hyun partnered fellow major winner Kim In-kyung to a one-up win against Candie Kung and Phoebe Yao of Taiwan, before Chun In-gee and Ryu So-yeon won their match two-up against Teresa Lu and Hsu Wei-ling.
Big-hitting Park drove the green at the par-four 14th, which measured 263 yards, then holed her putt for eagle to set South Korea on their path toward victory.
Photo: AP
The four-day event at the Jack Nicklaus Golf Club Korea in Incheon pits four players from eight countries against each other in four-ball and singles formats.
South Korea led Pool A on four points, one ahead of the England quartet of Charley Hull, Georgia Hall, Bronte Law and Jodi Ewart Shadoff won one match and halved the other against Australia.
Cristie Kerr and Lexi Thompson got the US on the board in Pool B with a two-up win over Pernilla Lindberg and Madelene Sagstrom, but Sweden hit back through Anna Nordqvist and Caroline Hedwall, who beat Michelle Wie and Jessica Korda by the same score.
Kerr, who has played in the two previous editions of the event, thanked her partner for carrying the partnership as she struggled with her swing.
“It wasn’t pretty today, I didn’t contribute that much,” she told reporters. “When I was out of it, which was probably three-quarters of the day today, Lexi was in there.”
Thailand, who split up sisters Moriya and Ariya Jutanugarn, were top of Pool B after beating Japan in one match and halving the other.
Organizers, concerned about the effect of Typhoon Kong-rey, said that the third round would begin as soon as the second slate of ties are completed today.
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