Staff WriterAt the Hanwha LIFEPLUS International Crown, it was Australia—sun-soaked, sharp-edged, and steely-nerved—who finally took home the prize that had eluded them for too long. Under the overcast skies of New Korea Country Club, Minjee Lee, Hannah Green, and their compatriots turned the United States’ title hopes into confetti, clinching the nation’s first-ever International Crown in a finale dripping with tension and brilliance.
Lee Lights the Fuse
The day began with Minjee Lee against America’s Angel Yin—two big hitters with the kind of swagger that makes you sit up straighter in your chair. Yin drew first blood with a birdie on the fourth, but Lee, playing in her fifth Hanwha LIFEPLUS International Crown, had other ideas. By the turn, the Aussie had the upper hand, trading blows with Yin in what could only be described as a birdie brawl.
“It was a really tight match from the very beginning. We kind of went back and forth with birdies. I don’t think we won a hole with a par,” Lee said afterwards. “We were both winning with birdies. I think I holed a nice putt for birdie, and then the next hole, Angel made bogey, and I only needed to make par to go 2 up on 17. I think we both played really solid. It was just nice to be able to win that first match.”
And win she did—2 and 1—the first point on the board for Australia.
Green Delivers the Knockout
Next up was Hannah Green versus Yealimi Noh. If Lee had set the table, Green cleared it. After a few cautious opening holes, the Perth native caught fire, going 3 up through six. Noh fought back, cutting the lead to one midway through the back nine, but Green refused to blink.
“I feel like I played probably my best golf today,” Green admitted. “When I got to 3 up, I knew I needed to keep my foot on the gas and not let her creep in. My putt on the last hole, I was very nervous. I knew exactly what it was for.”
That putt—a nerveless 12-footer for birdie on the par-5 17th—dropped dead-centre, sealing not just her match but the Hanwha LIFEPLUS International Crown for Australia.
A Team Win for the Ages
By the time Steph Kyriacou and Grace Kim walked up 17 in their foursomes match, the champagne was already metaphorically uncorked. Their duel against Lilia Vu and Lauren Coughlin ended in a tie through 17 holes, but the Australians graciously conceded the final hole to join their teammates in celebration.
“I don’t know how much wisdom I passed onto Grace,” Kyriacou said with a laugh. “We kind of just said let’s go out and do our best. That’s all that can happen. I think we came in clutch in some high-pressure moments, and it was just good fun.”
That camaraderie—the unspoken understanding among teammates who know when to attack and when to trust—is what ultimately separated the Aussies from the rest.
The Road to Glory
It wasn’t an easy path. Earlier in the day, the semifinals saw Australia topple the World Team in a nail-biter. Minjee Lee staged a comeback for the ages against Brooke Henderson, clawing back from 3 down to win 1 up.
Kyriacou and Kim then sealed the deal with a 20-hole thriller over Lydia Ko and Wei-Ling Hsu—one of the great match play marathons in Hanwha LIFEPLUS International Crown history.
The United States, meanwhile, powered past Japan with solid performances from Angel Yin and Yealimi Noh. But when it mattered most, the stars and stripes were no match for the green and gold.
A Historic Triumph
For a nation that’s produced legends from Peter Thomson to Karrie Webb, this victory felt long overdue. The Hanwha LIFEPLUS International Crown had always been a missing piece of Australia’s golfing legacy—until now.
Under Lee’s quiet leadership, Green’s grit, and the youthful spark of Kyriacou and Kim, the Aussies didn’t just win; they dominated when it mattered most.
As the sun set over Seoul, Australia’s four champions stood shoulder to shoulder, gold medals gleaming, a team finally crowned in every sense of the word.
