Nelly Korda has confirmed she is withdrawing from the upcoming Hanwha Lifeplus International Crown in two weeks’ time as a result of injury.
The update significantly weakens Team USA’s chances of capturing a first International Crown since 2016.
Korda is being replaced on Team USA by Yealimi Noh, who is ranked 26 rungs worse on the world ladder.
Noh is most certainly capable of filling in for Korda though having won her sole LPGA title to date at the Founders Cup in February this season.
The Hanwha LifePlus International Crown is a biennial women’s professional team golf tournament on the LPGA.
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It comprises eight different teams, which you can learn more about at the bottom of this page.
Nelly Korda won SEVEN TIMES on the LPGA last year.
What odds would you have gotten on 26 different players winning on the LPGA so far this year (25 events)… and none of them being Nelly Korda.
100,000-to-1? More? pic.twitter.com/m7IJosE5OG
— Jamie Kennedy (@jamierkennedy) October 7, 2025
Despite winning seven times on the LPGA last season, Korda, 27, remains winless in 17 events this season.
She has still chalked up an impressive eight top-10 finishes so far in 2025 though while banking a tidy $2.2m in the process.
However, this is Nelly Korda, arguably the biggest superstar on the ladies golf scene for many a season.
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It’s only victories that matter to the 15-time LPGA winner and it’s unthinkable that she has not registered a single win so far this year.
Korda is now coming up to nearly a full 12 months since she last won on the LPGA at The Annika.
As a result of Korda’s dip in form, she has fallen to second in the world to Jeeno Thitikul.
So where has it gone wrong for her?
Well, other than dealing with some niggling injuries over the past 12 months, her stats indiciate that one area of her game has badly dropped off.
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Interestingly when taking a deep dive into Korda’s statistics right now, her scoring average on the LPGA remains largely unchanged.
Korda’s current scoring average for the 2025 season is 69.70 compared to last season’s average of 69.56.
She has also improved her putting performance, ranking 20th as opposed to 34th in 2024.
But her biggest collapse has come with her wedge play.
Korda has fallen to 62nd in strokes-gained around the green compared to ranking fourth last season.
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Nelly Korda WDs from International Crown
All seemed well in Korda’s world with a steady T4 at the Lotte Championship last Saturday.
After the tournament she even told reporters that her next event would be the International Crown in two weeks’ time.
But Korda has been forced to change plans.
News has now come to light that Korda needs some extra time off to deal with an injury.
This will allow her to rest and recover before the final two tournaments on the LPGA in November.
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Despite initially telling reporters last weekend that she would be participating in the International Crown, Korda did highlight some injury concerns.
“I would say by this time of the year my body is definitely worn down,” said Korda.
“I do have some injuries I’ve had in the past that kind of linger that are never really fully resolved, that you still do PT on every single day, you do therapy.
“So making sure you’re 100 percent with your body or as 100 percent as you can be is always the end goal going into kind of the first day of the event.”
Injuries have been an unwelcome companion for Korda over the past few seasons.
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Last year, she faced a bizarre setback when a dog bite forced her to take time off to recover.
Then in October 2024 she revealed she had been grappling with migraines and neck spasms, sidelining her again.
The troubles didn’t end there as earlier this summer those same neck spasms flared up while she was hitting out of the rough at Fields Ranch East during a practice round for the KPMG Women’s PGA Championship, reminding her that resilience is as much a part of the game as skill.
She went on to finish T19 that week.
Injuries have therefore played a key role in Korda remaining winless this season.
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Nelly Korda
Korda is next expected to tee it up in her title defence at The Annika in Florida from 13-16 November.
It means Korda now has more than four weeks to get herself fully fit for a big end to the LPGA season.
Korda won The Annika for a third time in the last four years in November 2024.
The LPGA season-ending 2025 CME Group Tour Championship then takes place the following week.
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That tournament determines the winner of the season-long Race to CME Globe, which Korda won last season.
Thitikul leads the way in the season race at the moment.
Korda looks on from sixth position.
Nelly Korda
The biennial Hanwha LifePlus International Crown first took place in 2014.
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Eight teams of four players will each participate in this year’s matchplay contest.
The teams include USA, Japan, South Korea, Australia, Thailand, Sweden, China and a World Team that consists of English superstar Charley Hull.
Korda, as we say at the top of this article, is being replaced on Team USA by Yealimi Noh, who is ranked 28th on the Rolex Rankings.
Noh is therefore ranked 26 positions worse in the world rankings than Korda, and so it certainly weakens Team USA who are looking to win their second International Crown and first since 2016.
USA is also represented by Angel Yin, Lauren Coughlin and Lilia Vu.
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According to the latest team update for the International Crown, Nelly Korda is out of the competition with an injury. Huge bummer. pic.twitter.com/C9jOyOeIkP
— Meg Adkins (@megadkins_TFE) October 5, 2025
Elsewhere, Pajaree Anannarukarn has been added to Thailand’s roster after Patty Tavatanakit has also been forced to withdraw.
Anannarukarn joins World No. 1 Thitikul, Ariya Jutanugarn and Chanettee Wannasaen.
The International Crown will take place from 23-26 October at New Korea Country Club in South Korea.
Outside of the famous Solheim Cup, it’s fair to say the International Crown is the ultimate team showdown in the ladies game.
Held every two years by the LPGA, it brings together the world’s top female golfers to compete for national pride in a high-stakes, matchplay format.
Traditionally, eight national teams of four players qualify based on world rankings.
But for 2025, the International Crown is evolving with seven national teams plus a world team made up of top players from other countries.
Format:
Early Rounds: Three days of fourball matches (two-player better-ball) kick off the action.Knockout Stage: The top two teams from each group advance to Sunday’s semi-finals.Final Showdown: Semi-finals feature two singles matches and a foursomes match. Winners advance to the championship, while the losing teams fight for third place.What are the teams and who are the players at the International Crown?International Crown 2025: Teams
Team
Players
USA
Angel Yin
Lauren Coughlin
Lilia Vu
Yealimi Noh
Japan
Miyu Yamashita
Rio Takeda
Mao Saigo
Ayaka Furue
South Korea
Hyo Joo Kim
Haeran Ryu
Jin Young Ko
Hye-Jin Choi
Australia
Minjee Lee
Hannah Green
Grace Kim
Steph Kyriacou
Thailand
Jeeno Thitikul
Ariya Jutanugarn
Chanettee Wannasaen
Pajaree Anannarukarn
Sweden
Maja Stark
Madelene Sagstrom
Ingrid Lindblad
Linn Grant
World Team
Brooke Henderson, CAN
Charley Hull, ENG
Lydia Ko, NZL
Wei-Ling Hsu, TPE
China
Ruoning Yin
Weiwei Zhang
Yan Liu
Ruixin Liu
What the past results of the International Crown?International Crown: Past Results
Year
Champion
Venue
Host country
Purse ($)
Winner’s
share ($)
2023
Thailand
TPC Harding Park
United States
2,000,000
500,000 (team)
2020
Cancelled
Centurion Club
England
1,600,000
400,000 (team)
2018
South Korea
Jack Nicklaus Golf Club Korea
South Korea
1,600,000
400,000 (team)
2016
United States
Merit Club
United States
1,600,000
400,000 (team)
2014
Spain
Caves Valley Golf Club
United States
1,600,000
400,000 (team)
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