The Hanwha LifePlus International Crown, a women’s national golf competition, opens at TPC Harding Park in San Francisco, California on the 5th (Korean time). The tournament, which was scheduled to be held in 2020, was postponed for three years in the aftermath of Corona 19, with a total prize money of 2 million dollars (approximately 2.7 billion won) at stake.

Like the Presidents Cup (US vs. World Team), the Ryder Cup (US vs. Europe), and the Solheim Cup (US vs. Europe women’s golf competition), the International Crown is in the nature of a national competition. Players from eight countries will compete for four days in four-ball, foursome, and single matches representing each country. First, the four countries will have a group stage, then the top two countries will play a semi-final tournament. The United States, Sweden, England and China are in Group A, and Korea, Japan, Thailand and Australia are in Group B.

The International Crown was created at the initiative of the LPGA Tour. Although there is the Solheim Cup, where the US and Europe face each other, it was newly established in 2014 under the recognition that there was a need for a stage where players from Asia and Oceania, who are showing remarkable growth, could participate. Starting this year, Hanwha Life signed a contract with the LPGA Tour, and the sponsor name was attached to Hanwha Life Plus.크크크벳

Korea has done well in past competitions. In the first competition in 2014, in which Inbi Park, Soyeon Yoo, Inkyung Kim, and Nayeon Choi competed, they placed third, and in 2016, Soyeon Yoo, Heeyoung Yang, Seiyoung Kim, and Inji Jeon paired up, and took second place. In the 2018 tournament held at Jack Nicklaus Golf Course in Incheon, Park Seong-hyun, Kim In-kyung, Ryu So-yeon, and Jeon In-ji worked together to lift the championship trophy. This year’s World Ranking Jinyoung Koh, Hyoju Kim (#9), Inji Jeon (#12) and Hyejin Choi (#25) will compete in this year’s event.

Sean Byun, LPGA Asia representative, said, “Although there is the Solheim Cup, the need for a national competition where players from all over the world can compete has been constantly raised. Now, the International Crown will establish itself as a prestigious women’s golf national competition,” he said.