S. Korea salvages 2 wins to close out International Crown

With its fate long sealed, South Korea salvaged two wins against Japan on its final day at the International Crown, the biennial LPGA match play competition.

In Day 3 of the four-ball play, Choi Hye-jin and Chun In-gee teamed up to defeat Nasa Hataoka and Ayaka Furue 3 & 1 at TPC Harding Park in San Francisco on Saturday.

Ko Jin-young and Kim Hyo-joo, the other South Korean team in action, held off Yuka Saso and Hinako Shibuno 3 & 2.

South Korea, the defending International Crown champion from 2018, had already been eliminated from title contention Friday, following two losses to Thailand. South Korea had also dropped both of its matches Thursday against Australia.

The International Crown features eight countries, each represented by four golfers. The teams were divided into two groups, with the top two nations from each after three days of round-robin play advancing to the semifinals.

South Korea was in Pool B with Australia, Thailand and Japan. Thailand won its first four matches to grab one semifinal ticket out of that group, while Australia won three and tied another to join the Thais. That left South Korea and Japan, who had three losses and one tie through two days, on the outside looking in.

From Pool A, Sweden and the United States reached the semifinals, while China and England were sent packing.

The semifinals, the third-place match and the final will all be Sunday.

This is the fourth edition of the International Crown. Spain won the inaugural event in 2014, and the United States won the second iteration two years later.

South Korea captured its first International Crown in 2018 while serving as the host country. The 2020 competition was canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic. (Yonhap)