Day 1 Results
🇯🇵Yamashita/Takeda A/S Hull/L. Ko 🌐
Lydia Ko has not been in a team match play in at least 15 years (if ever), and her initiation was a tough one as she and Charley Hull battled against good friends Yamashita and Takeda, who never trailed in the match but could not see their win through as the Dame sunk a long downhill lag putt at the last!
🇯🇵Furue/Saigo –> 2&1 Henderson/Hsu 🌐
The pair of Japanese major champions looked imperious as they went up 3 through 8, but debutant Henderson found a couple birdies and a dart from her friend Hsu equalised the match by the 11th. The World Team completed the turnaround with birdies on the 14th and the 16th, sending the Japanese favourites behind the eighth ball after Day 1!
🇦🇺Lee/Kyriacou 2 up <– Wannasaen/Suwannapura 🇹🇭
It was never an easy task for this debutant Thai pair as they encountered the 2023 finalists. Steph Kyriacou's dart put the Aussies 1 up at the 8th, and they never looked back despite the Thais challenging them all the way to the final hole, where Minjee Lee finished the job with a birdie.
🇦🇺 Green/G. Kim –> 1 up Thitikul/Anannarukarn 🇹🇭
In one of the more seesaw matches of the day, the Aussie major champions took the lead three times but were pegged back each time by the Thai besties, whose friendship went back well into their teen days. The 2023 Crown winner Jeeno would prove the anchor her country desperately needed as the world no. 1's birdie on the 14th keep Thailand in a good position.
🇰🇷J.Y. Ko/H. Ryu A/S Lindblad/Sagstrom 🇸🇪
Of the two home team pairs, this one was the dodgier one as both Jin Young and Hae Ran have struggled with form and more importantly putting. They trailed for the bulk of the match as missed chances went by, but turned it around into a brief lead, before being struck back by the rookie-veteran Swedish pair who held on late despite Ingrid Lindblad's adventure on the 18th.
🇰🇷H.J. Kim/H.J. Choi 3&2 <– Stark/Grant 🇸🇪
Capturing the bulk of the TV coverage, it was never in doubt for this home team pair as Grant struggled to find fairways and Stark got into a few troubles of her own. Hyo Joo Kim will almost certainly be the most popular player this week with her fan club in attendance, and her performance has set a good stage for the Korean team to advance.
🇺🇸Noh/A. Yin 5&4 <– Y. Liu/R. Yin 🇨🇳
By far the most lopsided match of the day, Angel Yin found six birdies as the Americans quickly surged into an unassailable lead before Yealimi Noh finished the job on the Chinese pair, who did not win a single hole.
🇺🇸Vu/ Coughlin 1 up <– W. Zhang/R. Liu 🇨🇳
Lauren Coughlin said a main goal for her this year was to make it onto the Crown team, and despite their struggling recent forms, she and Lilia Vu maintained a steady supremacy over tour newcomers Weiwei Zhang and Ruixin Liu, who put up a better fight than their compatriots before faltering late at the 16th.
Standings
Pool A
USA 2.0
Australia 1.0
Thailand 1.0
China 0.0
Pool B
South Korea 1.5
World 1.5
Japan 1.5
Sweden 1.5
Round 2:
🇦🇺Lee/Kyriacou vs R. Liu/R. Yin 🇨🇳
🇦🇺Green/G. Kim vs Y. Liu/W. Zhang 🇨🇳
🇯🇵Yamashita/Takeda vs Lindblad/Sagstrom 🇸🇪
🇯🇵Furue/Saigo vs Stark/Grant 🇸🇪
🇺🇸Noh/A. Yin vs Thitikul/Anannarukarn 🇹🇭
🇺🇸Vu/ Coughlin vs Wannasaen/Suwannapura 🇹🇭
🇰🇷J.Y. Ko/H. Ryu vs Henderson/Hsu 🌐
🇰🇷H.J. Kim/H.J. Choi vs Hull/L. Ko 🌐
by tropicalphysics
2 Comments
Weird title. Implies that Ko is American.
Am I the only one who’s never heard of this event?