Goyang: The host South Korea won one match and tied another against Sweden to kick off the LPGA match-play event on Thursday.
According to Yonhap News Agency, Kim Hyo-joo and Choi Hye-jin, representing the third-seeded South Korea, defeated Maja Stark and Linn Grant of sixth-seed Sweden 3 and 2 in their fourball contest at the International Crown at New Korea Country Club. In the second match, Ko Jin-young and Ryu Hae-ran secured a tie against Ingrid Lindblad and Madelene Sagstrom on the par-72, 6,385-yard course.
The South Korean team started strong with Choi's birdie on the par-3 second hole, though Grant's birdie on the next hole brought Sweden level. South Korea regained the lead with Kim's birdie on the par-5 fourth and maintained their advantage to close out the match on the 16th hole.
Kim expressed her gratitude to Choi for her performance, noting, "I didn't do much on the back nine. I was just out there cheering for Hye-jin." Choi reciprocated the praise, highlighting Kim's crucial putts that kept them ahead.
In the other match, Ko and Ryu had an early lead which was neutralized when Lindblad birdied the 14th hole. The match ended in a tie after both teams matched scores in the remaining holes. Ryu acknowledged missed opportunities but remained optimistic for the upcoming matches.
The International Crown features teams from seven countries and a World team, with points awarded for match wins and ties. South Korea will face the World Team next and then Japan, with no changes planned in their pairings.
In other matches, the World Team earned points against Japan, while Thailand and Australia split their matches. The United States won both of its matches against China.
The tournament's top two teams from each pool will advance to the semifinals, with all matches in the pool stage played in a fourball format. The semifinals and finals will feature a mix of foursome and singles play.
This marks the fifth edition of the International Crown, with each of the previous four events crowning a different winner. South Korea was triumphant in 2018 when they last hosted the event.