Staff WriterIf the Hanwha LIFEPLUS International Crown is about pressure, pride, and pure golf theatre, then Saturday’s matches at New Korea Country Club delivered an Oscar-worthy performance.
The world’s best women turned the four-ball format into a stage for birdies, comebacks, and heartbreak, as the World Team and the United States secured their semifinal spots while Japan broke Korean hearts on home soil.
World Team Keeps Rolling – Henderson and Hsu Stay Perfect
Canada’s Brooke Henderson and Chinese Taipei’s Wei-Ling Hsu have become the heartbeat of the Hanwha LIFEPLUS International Crown. On Saturday, they dispatched Sweden’s Madelene Sagstrom and Ingrid Lindblad with clinical precision, cruising to a 4-and-3 win to stay unbeaten and punch their ticket to Sunday’s semifinals.
Hsu set the tone with a birdie at the first, and when Sweden struck back at the fourth, Henderson and Hsu shifted gears, winning holes 8, 9, and 13 to seize control. They sealed the deal on 14, their chemistry as sharp as ever.
“(It was) definitely very fun. Winning (is) definitely not a bad thing,” said Hsu. “I think me and Brooke really do a good job these three days. When we need each other, she would jump up for me, and I would jump up for her, so it worked out really well.”
Henderson, who’s long craved a team event like this, was equally fired up. “I’ve been waiting a long time for the World Team to come true, and I am just so grateful to be a part of this team,” she said. “It’s been an incredible opportunity so far. I love my partner here. (Wei-Ling) bailed me out a lot here today, and she played amazing all week. It’s been so much fun, and I’m really excited for tomorrow.”
Sweden Salvage Pride – Stark and Grant Strike Back
It wasn’t all one-way traffic. Sweden’s Maja Stark and Linn Grant clawed back some pride with a 3-and-1 victory over Charley Hull and Lydia Ko, another World Team pairing. After going 2 down through two, the Swedes rallied behind Stark’s red-hot putter, flipping the match by the 12th and finishing in style on 17.
It was a classy send-off, even if the win couldn’t change their fate — Sweden’s 2.5 points in Pool B weren’t enough to advance.
Japan’s Dramatic Triumph – Yamashita Delivers a Knockout
Japan’s duel with Korea was pure sporting drama, tailor-made for the Hanwha LIFEPLUS International Crown. Ayaka Furue and Rio Takeda’s match against Jin Young Ko and Haeran Ryu ended in a tense tie — but the second pairing, Miyu Yamashita and Mao Saigo, brought the fireworks.
After trailing 3 down early to Korea’s Hyo Joo Kim and Hye-Jin Choi, the Japanese duo stormed back with birdies at 9, 10, and 16. Then came the moment that silenced the Korean crowd: Yamashita, cool as you like, rolled in a pressure-packed birdie on 18 to secure Japan’s semifinal berth.
“I did feel a lot of pressure on the last putt,” Yamashita admitted. “Seeing the team next to the green helped a lot too. So I was able to make the putt.”
Korea’s dreams of a home-soil victory ended right there on that green.
Thailand and China Trade Blows
Thailand’s top duo, World No. 1 Jeeno Thitikul and Pajaree Anannarukarn, handled China’s Yan Liu and Weiwei Zhang with ease, sealing a 3-and-1 win. But in the reverse fixture, China’s Ruixin Liu and Ruoning Yin staged one of the most thrilling comebacks of the Hanwha LIFEPLUS International Crown, overturning a 3-down deficit to beat Chanettee Wannasaen and Jasmine Suwannapura 2 and 1.
Liu caught fire on the back nine, making four birdies in six holes, capped with another dagger on 17. It was too little, too late for either team to advance, but they left with heads held high and a touch of pride restored.
USA Flex Their Muscles – Again
Over in Pool A, the United States were already through, but Angel Yin and Yealimi Noh weren’t about to take their foot off the gas. Their clash with Australia’s Minjee Lee and Steph Kyriacou was pure tension, right down to the final putt.
After trading birdies all afternoon, Noh drained a 15-footer on 18 — only for Kyriacou to match it and keep Australia alive. “It was pretty nerve-wracking,” Kyriacou said. “To hole that putt I knew it was important. Very good feeling.”
Meanwhile, Lauren Coughlin and Lilia Vu made it look easy, crushing Hannah Green and Grace Kim 5 and 4 — tying the largest winning margin of the week.
“We ham-and-egged it really well again today,” said Coughlin. “Hannah and Grace played really well, but we were able to just put the pedal down all day.”
Vu added, “It’s so fun playing with Lauren. We’re really close, super comfortable out there. I told her, I was like, ‘I’ll just make the par, and you go for the birdie.’ And that’s what happened on the back nine.”
The U.S. closed group play unbeaten with 5.5 points — a statement of intent heading into Sunday.
Final Four Set
As the dust settled at New Korea Country Club, four teams stood tall: the United States, Japan, Thailand, and the World Team. The Hanwha LIFEPLUS International Crown has once again proved that in golf, team spirit can make even the steadiest hands shake — and the coolest players burn brightest when everything’s on the line.
