Australia Crowned Champions in Historic LPGA Team Triumph

Australia has made history with a breakthrough victory at the LPGA’s Crown Invitational, toppling the previously unbeaten U.S. 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.

The biennial team event, often dubbed the “World Cup of Women’s Golf,” saw the Aussie quartet of Minjee Lee, Hannah Green, Grace Kim, and Stephanie Kyriacou deliver a gritty and unified performance to lift the coveted trophy.

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

With the result already sealed, the foursomes match between Kyriacou and Kim against Lilia Vu and Lauren Coughlin ended in a tie — a fitting conclusion to a dominant display by the Australians.

Minjee Lee was the heartbeat of Australia’s campaign, delivering a flawless performance across all five of her matches during the week.

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

In the semi-final, she staged a remarkable comeback from three down through 12 holes to defeat Canada’s Brooke Henderson 1-up, capped by four closing birdies. Her dominance continued in the final, where she outclassed world No.10 Angel Yin 2&1 in singles, setting the tone for Australia’s historic victory.

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

The win was especially sweet for the Aussies, who had come agonisingly close in 2023, finishing runners-up to Thailand.

This time around, they showed resilience and camaraderie throughout the week, including a dramatic semi-final win over the World team that went down to the wire.

“In a lot of our matches we were behind the eight-ball,” Kyriacou reflected. “But we managed to come back in every match. I think having grit throughout the week got us over the line.”