Korean golfers banking on home advantage at LPGA match-play event
From left, Korean golfers Ryu Hae-ran, Ko Jin-young, Choi Hye-jin and Kim Hyo-joo competing at the International Crown, an LPGA match-play event, pose next to the championship trophy at New Korea Country Club in Goyang, Gyeonggi Province, Wednesday. Yonhap
The four Korean golfers set to tee off at an LPGA match-play event on home soil said Wednesday they will try to capitalize on their home advantage this week.
Kim Hyo-joo, Ryu Hae-ran, Choi Hye-jin and Ko Jin-young will represent the No. 3 seed Korea at the fifth edition of the International Crown, which starts Thursday at New Korea Country Club in Goyang, Gyeonggi Province.
The seven other teams in the competition are the United States, Japan, Australia, Thailand, Sweden, China and the World Team, made up of players from a country not already qualified from regions, such as the Americas, Asia, Europe and Oceania.
Korea won the 2018 International Crown as the host and will look to replicate that success on home soil this time.
"We will have so many fans behind us at home," said Kim, the top-ranked Korean at No. 8. "We will have the home advantage, and all four of us are in good form. Once the tournament begins, we will be even more fired up."
Kim may have the biggest advantage within her team, having won back-to-back Ladies European Tour events held at New Korea Country Club in 2024 and 2025.
"We also played an LPGA tournament in Korea last week," Kim said, referring to the BMW Ladies Championship that took place on the southern coast. "There's no excuse for us, such as jet lag. We have no other option but to play well this week."
Kim said she had not yet shared secrets to success on the course with her teammates but added: "Even when I do, that conversation will stay within the team. You will get to see it from the way we play on the course."
Kim played at the 2023 International Crown with Ko and Choi, while Ryu will make her debut this week.
Ko said she doesn't really have advice to give to Ryu, a three-time LPGA winner and the 2023 LPGA Rookie of the Year.
"If she can just play her game, I just need to go do my part," Ko added.
Choi and Ryu both picked Japan, the No. 2 seed, as the team to beat. Japan boasts three recent major champions in Mao Saigo (the 2025 Chevron Championship), Miyu Yamashita (the 2025 AIG Women's Open) and Ayaka Furue (the 2024 Amundi Evian Championship). Two-time tour winner Rio Takeda is the fourth member of the quartet.
"Many Japanese courses are similar to Korean courses, and I think Japanese players should be familiar with the greens here," Choi said. "And those players have been playing well lately."
Ryu chimed in: "The greens here have a lot of undulation, and the Japanese players are great putters. They should have an advantage this week."
Korea and Japan are in Pool B, alongside Sweden and the World Team. Pool A teams are the U.S., Australia, Thailand and China.
From Thursday to Saturday, the teams will play fourball matches in a two-on-two format. Each player will hit her own ball, and the lower score of the two teammates will count as the team's score on each hole.
Korea will open pool play against Sweden on Thursday and then will face the World Team on Friday and Japan on Saturday. A match win is worth one point, and a half point will be awarded to each team in case of a tie.
The top two teams from each pool will advance to the semifinals for Sunday morning. The two pool winners will each play the runners-up from the opposing pool in two singles matches and one foursome match. In the foursome, each team plays one ball, with the two teammates taking turns until the hole is completed.
The final is scheduled for Sunday afternoon and will be played in the same format as the semifinals. The winning team will receive $500,000, with each player getting $125,000.