International Crown
| Tournament information | |
|---|---|
| Location | Varies – (2016) Gurnee, Illinois, U.S. |
| Established | 2014 |
| Course(s) | Merit Club – (2016) |
| Par | 72 |
| Length | 6,668 yards (6,097 m) |
| Tour(s) | LPGA Tour |
| Format | Match play, team event 32 players (4 each on 8 teams) |
| Prize fund | $1.6 million |
| Month played | July |
| Current champion | |
 United States | |
 2016 International Crown | |
Club
The International Crown is a biennial women's professional team golf tournament on the LPGA Tour, played in July of even-numbered years. Eight national teams of four players each (32 players in total) participate in the match play event.[1]
History
It debuted in 2014 at Caves Valley Golf Club in Owings Mills, Maryland, a suburb northwest of Baltimore.[2] With selection based on the world rankings of individuals, the eight nations were announced the previous November: Australia, Chinese Taipei, Japan, South Korea, Spain, Sweden, Thailand, and the United States. Teams were divided into two pools and played round robin fourball for three days. The top five teams (20 players) advanced to the ten singles matches on Sunday, with each nation facing the other four. Spain won all four singles matches to win the title with a total of fifteen points; Sweden split its matches to finish in second with eleven points.
The second edition in 2016 took place at the Merit Club in Gurnee, Illinois, north of Chicago.[3] The top two finishers from 2014, champion Spain and runner-up Sweden, did not qualify for 2016 and were replaced by China and England. The United States won the 2016 International Crown with 13 points, winning three out of four singles matches on Sunday with South Korea finishing second with 12 points.
Sponsorship and future sites
UL, an American safety organization historically known as Underwriters Laboratories, was announced as the title sponsor for 2016 and 2018.[4] The 2018 event is scheduled for South Korea at the Jack Nicklaus Golf Club Korea near Incheon, which hosted the Presidents Cup in 2015,[5] and Champions Tour tournaments in 2010 and 2011.
Winners
| Year | Dates | Champion | Points | Runner-up | Points | Venue | Host country | Purse ($) | Winner's share ($) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2016 | July 21–24 | United States |
13 (6–3–1) |  South Korea |
12 (6–4–0) | Merit Club | United States | 1,600,000 | 400,000 (team) |
| 2014 | July 24–27 |  Spain |
15 (7–2–1) |  Sweden |
11 (5–4–1) | Caves Valley Golf Club | United States | 1,600,000 | 400,000 (team)[6] |
Future venue
| Year | Venue | Host country | Location |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2018 | Jack Nicklaus Golf Club Korea | South Korea | Incheon |
Results table
| Country | Times played |
Best finish |
Players | 2014 | 2016 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 Australia |
2 | 8 | 6 | 8 | 8 |
 China |
1 | 6 | 4 | – | 6 |
 Chinese Taipei |
2 | T3 | 5 | 7 | T3 |
 England |
1 | T3 | 4 | – | T3 |
 Japan |
2 | T3 | 7 | T3 | 4 |
| South Korea |
2 | 2 | 7 | T3 | 2 |
| Spain |
1 | 1 | 4 | 1 | – |
| Sweden |
1 | 2 | 4 | 2 | – |
 Thailand |
2 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 7 |
| United States |
2 | 1 | 5 | 6 | 1 |
References
- ^ 2014 LPGA International Crown Participant Countries
- ^ The LPGA International Crown Page
- ^ "Chicago's Merit Club to Host 2016 UL International Crown". LPGA. November 24, 2015.
- ^ "UL Named Title Sponsor For 2016 and 2018 UL International Crown; 2018 Event to be Held in the Republic of Korea". LPGA. October 20, 2014.
- ^ "2018 UL International Crown Set for South Korea". New York Times. Associated Press. July 20, 2016.
- ^ 2014 International Crown News Page