US, Australia reach final at International Crown

Yealimi Noh of the United States watches her shot on the third hole during her semifinal singles match against Miyu Yamashita of Japan at the International Crown at New Korea Country Club in Goyang, Gyeonggi Province, Sunday. AP-Yonhap

The top-seeded United States and the fourth-seeded Australia will square off in the final of the International Crown on the outskirts of Seoul on Sunday.

The U.S. defeated Japan 2-1 in the semifinals of the biennial LPGA match-play competition held Sunday morning at New Korea Golf Country Club in Goyang, just northwest of Seoul in Gyeonggi Province. The par-72 course played at 6,369 yards on Sunday.

Australia got past the World Team 2-1 on the other side of the bracket to set up a date with the Americans in the final later Sunday.

The International Crown brought together seven countries — the U.S., Japan, Australia, Sweden, Thailand, China and the host Korea — plus the newly created World Team, made up of players from countries not already qualified for the competition.

The teams were split into Pool A and Pool B, and the top two teams from each side after three days of fourball matches — whereby each golfer played her own ball and the better score of the two teammates became that team's score on the given hole — qualified for the semifinals.

In the semifinals, the teams played two singles matches and one foursome match, in which the two teammates took turns hitting shots until the hole was completed.

For the U.S. side, Yealimi Noh, a last-minute replacement for world No. 2 Nelly Korda, who withdrew due to an injury, defeated Miyu Yamashita 4 & 2 in their singles match. Noh won three of the last four holes and closed out the match with a birdie on the par-3 16th.

Angel Yin handled Rio Takeda 2 & 1 in the other singles contest to book a spot in the final for the U.S.

Ayaka Furue and Mao Saigo salvaged a point for Japan by beating Lilia Vu and Lauren Coughlin 1-up in their foursome match.

Australia staged comebacks in two of its three matches against the World Team.

Minjee Lee beat Brooke Henderson of Canada 1-up with a birdie on the final hole.

Henderson held a 3-up lead through 12 holes, but Lee won three of the next four holes, pulling even with a birdie on the 16th. Lee then grabbed the lead by holing out for a birdie from behind the green on the par-5 17th. The two players both made pars on the 18th hole as Lee claimed an unlikely win.

In the foursome match, Stephanie Kyriacou and Grace Kim held off Hsu Wei-Ling of Chinese Taipei and Lydia Ko of New Zealand on the second playoff hole.

Hsu and Ko took a 1-up lead into the 18th hole, and then Kim drained a birdie putt on the final green to tie the score and send the match to the playoff.

On the second playoff hole, Ko pushed her tee shot into deep stuff on the right, and the Australians won the hole and the match with a par there.

Charley Hull of England scored the only point for the World Team by beating Hannah Green 2 & 1 in the singles.

Korea, seeded third behind the United States and Japan, missed out on the semifinals for the second consecutive International Crown. The quartet of Kim Hyo-joo, Ryu Hae-ran, Choi Hye-jin and Ko Jin-young combined for one win, two losses and three ties in pool play.

The final will have the same format as the semifinals.