LPGA's team competition to return next year under S. Korean sponsorship

▲ From left: U.S. LPGA golfer Mina Harigae, LPGA Commissioner Mollie Marcoux Samaan, Hanwha Life CEO Yeo Seung-joo and South Korean LPGA golfer Ryu So-yeon pose for this Getty Images photo during a signing ceremony at TPC Harding Park in San Francisco on Oct. 11, 2022, after the LPGA announced the return of the International Crown in 2023 under Hanwha's sponsorship. (Yonhap)

▲ In this Getty Images photo, South Korean LPGA golfer Ryu So-yeon (R) speaks during a press conference at TPC Harding Park in San Francisco on Oct. 11, 2022, after the LPGA announced the return of the International Crown in 2023 under the sponsorship of South Korean conglomerate Hanwha. (Yonhap)

▲ This photo provided by TPC Harding Park on Oct. 11, 2022, shows the 16th hole of the course located in San Francisco. (PHOTO NOT FOR SALE) (Yonhap)

LPGA-team competition

LPGA's team competition to return next year under S. Korean sponsorship

By Yoo Jee-ho

SEOUL, Oct. 12 (Yonhap) -- The LPGA has announced the return of an international match play competition for 2023 under South Korean corporate sponsorship.

In a statement from San Francisco on Tuesday (local time), the LPGA said the International Crown will be back on the tour calendar for May 4-7, 2023, at TPC Harding Park, a famed San Francisco course.

Hanwha, one of South Korea's largest conglomerates, will serve as the title sponsor under the name LIFEPLUS. It's a joint brand of Hanwha's financial affiliates, including Hanwha Life and Hanwha Investment & Securities.

The biennial International Crown was first contested in 2014, with eight countries represented by four players each. It takes a different format than the Solheim Cup, another international match play event in women's golf that has been pitting Americans against Europeans since 1990. The Solheim Cup has left out some of the best golfers outside the United States and Europe, and the International Crown was designed to showcase such players.

Spain and the U.S. won each of the first two International Crowns, and South Korea won its first title as the host country in 2018.

The 2020 International Crown was postponed due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

For the 2023 event, the field of eight countries will be determined by the combined world ranking positions of the top four players from each country as of Nov. 21, 2022. The field of 32 players will be finalized with the ranking positions as of April 2, 2023.

South Korean veteran Ryu So-yeon, who has played at every International Crown so far, said she was eager for another opportunity to represent the country.

"When it first launched in 2014, I was very nervous to represent my country. And then it became my favorite tournament ever," she said at a press conference after the signing ceremony. "And if somebody is going to ask me what is your top three events you ever played, I think the 2018 International Crown has got to be my top three. The International Crown was just so awesome, and I was a little disappointed that we couldn't play for five years. This tournament continues to be my favorite for all time."

TPC Harding Park has hosted the 2009 Presidents Cup and the 2020 PGA Championship, among other top competitions, since a US$16 million restoration in 2002-2003. The International Crown will be the first elite women's competition at the course, which is named after former U.S. President Warren G. Harding.

"The International Crown is a true marker of the global reach of the LPGA," said LPGA Commissioner Mollie Marcoux Samaan. "The 32 athletes who will compete at TPC Harding Park in 2023 will have the ultimate honor of playing under their national colors and representing their countries, one of the most exciting opportunities an athlete can experience."

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