USA Eliminated from International Crown


The host country will not be around for Sunday's singles matches in the inaugural International Crown. The four-person American squad - the top-seeded team in the new biennial event - of Stacy Lewis, Paula Creamer, Cristie Kerr and Lexi Thompson were beaten by the South Koreans on the first playoff hole.

The USA and Korea finished tied after three days of better-ball matches with six points apiece and were forced to play an aggregate-score playoff. On the par-5 16th at Caves Valley Golf Club in Owings Mill, Md., Inbee Park and So Yeon Ryu each got birdies, while Thompson carded a par and Kerr a birdie to fall a stroke short as only five of the eight teams advance to the singles matches.

The Americans failed to overcome the first of three days of better-ball when they didn't score a point against Taiwan. Though they got back into the tournament with four points Friday by winning both matches against Spain, they split the Saturday matches with Thailand, setting up the aggregate-score playoff.

On Day 3, Kerr and Thompson got its six points to set up the playoff by beating Thai sisters Ariya and Moriya Jutanugarn 3 and 2. But Creamer and No. 1-ranked Lewis lost to Pornanong Phatlum and Onnarin Sattayabanphot 1-up.

South Korea also got two points in its pair of matches with Japan when Park and Ryu beat Mamiko Higa and Mika Miyazato 4 and 3, but Ai Miyazato (no relation to Mika) and Sakura Yokomine beat Na Yeon Choi and I.K. Kim 3 and 2.

Park and Ryu both made short birdie putts in the playoff. Ryu said during a greenside interview that she experienced the "most nervous moment of her life" before her two-foot putt disappeared into the cup.

Park, a former No. 1 with 10 LPGA titles including four majors, added, "I haven't really putted well this year, but I think (the birdie putt) will help me. It was the most nervous putt I've ever had."

Creamer admitted the bad start by the Americans on Thursday ultimately proved fatal for the host team. "The first day kind of took us out of it."

Kerr agreed, saying, "The first day was a killer - this format is really hard."

All points from the four-ball matches will carry over into Sunday's matches, when each country will play a singles match against every other country. Japan leads with eight, while Thailand, Sweden (Caroline Hedwall, Anna Nordqvist, Pernilla Lindberg and Mikaela Parmlid), Spain (Belen Mozo, Beatriz Recari, Azahara Munoz and Carlota Ciganda) have seven points apiece and Korea six as the "wild-card" entry.

The total cumulative points from the four days of competition will be used to determine the overall International Crown champion.

In the third-round of better-ball play, Sweden rolled over Australia, with Hedwall and Nordqvist beating Australia's Karrie Webb and 18-year-old amateur Minjee Lee 5 and 3, while Lindberg and Parmlid routed Aussies Katherine Kirk and Lindsey Wright 7 and 5.

Spain eliminated Taiwan when Ciganda and Munoz vanquished Yani Tseng and Phoebe Yao 6 and 5, and Mozo and Recari edged Candie Kung and Teresa Lu 1-up.

South Korea split its two matches with Japan as Park and Ryu beat Higa and Mika Miyazato 4 and 3, and Ai Miyazato Yokomine took care of Na Yeon Choi and I.K. Kim 3 and 2.

For all the scores, visit http://www.lpgascoring.com/public/IntlCrown.aspx.