Australia crowned champions in historic LPGA team triumph – Aussie Golfer

Australia made history with a breakthrough victory at the LPGA’s Crown Invitational, toppling the previously undefeated American team in a dramatic final.

Australia has claimed its first-ever title at the LPGA’s Hanwha LIFEPLUS International Crown, stunning the top-seeded United States in a thrilling final at New Korea Country Club in South Korea.

At the biennial team event, often referred to as the ‘World Cup of Women’s Golf’, the Australian quartet of Minjee Lee, Hannah Green, Grace Kim and Stephanie Kyriacou produced a gritty and uniform performance to lift the coveted trophy.

The final showdown was decided in the singles matches, where Minjee Lee and Hannah Green both recorded a 2-on-1 victory over American stars Angel Yin and Yealimi Noh respectively.

With the result already sealed, Kyriacou and Kim’s foursome against Lilia Vu and Lauren Coughlin ended in a draw – a fitting end to a dominant performance from the Australians.

Minjee Lee was the heartbeat of the Australian campaign, delivering an impeccable performance in all five of her matches throughout the week.

Teaming up with Stephanie Kyriacou in the group stage, Lee helped secure crucial points, including a gritty half against formidable American duo Angel Yin and Yealimi Noh.

In the semifinals, she made a remarkable comeback from three to twelve holes to beat Canada’s Brooke Henderson 1-up, highlighted by four closing birdies. Her dominance continued in the final, where she outclassed world number 10 Angel Yin 2&1 in singles, setting the tone for Australia’s historic win.

“I’m so happy I was able to do this with these girls,” Lee said. “It was just a lot of fun this whole week.”

The win was especially sweet for the Aussies, who had come agonizingly close in 2023, finishing second behind Thailand.

This time they showed resilience and camaraderie all week, including a dramatic semi-final victory over the World Team that went all the way.

“In many of our matches we were behind the eight ball,” Kyriacou reflected. “But we managed to come back in every game. I think we came across the line with courage all week.”