The opening day of the 2023 Hanwha Life Plus International Crown came within 100 days. Recently, ticket sales and volunteer recruitment began, and preparations began in earnest.
The Hanwha International Crown is a tournament in which the best female golfers from the top 8 countries around the world gather to compete in a team match play format. It was included on the LPGA Tour schedule for the first time since 2018. This year it will be held from May 4th to 7th.
The Hanwha Life Plus International Crown, which is held every two years, is a tournament created to highlight the relatively weak concept of national competition in golf. It was created to honor the world’s best female golfers who represent a country rather than a specific continent or region. Also, for the fans, it aims to breathe together with the players in the competition venue while watching elite female golfers up close. All of this takes place at TPC Harding Park, one of America’s premier golf courses.
The eight countries competing for national honor are the defending champions Korea, the United States, Japan, Sweden, England, Thailand, Australia, and the People’s Republic of China. The final 32 players and national seed will be determined through the Rolex Women’s Golf World Ranking as of April 3, 2023, the Monday following the DIO Implant LA Open.
The face of the players who are currently expected to participate is enormous. Champion member Jeon In-ji, major champion Ko Jin-young (Korea Republic), 2020 Olympic gold medalist Nellie Koda and two-time winning member Lexi Thompson (USA), and Lee Min-ji (Australia) who have competed in both events Representatively, these are the players who will appear at the Hanwha International Crown this year.
In addition, Anna Nordqvist (Sweden), Hataoka Nasa (Japan), Charlie Hull (England), and Atiya Tatikun (Thailand) are representative players who will shine this Hanwha International Crown.
The U.S., considered Korea’s rival, is likely to feature Nellie Korda, Lexi Thompson, Jennifer Kupcho, and Daniel Kang. Japan’s Nasa Hataoka, Miyu Yamashita, Ayaka Furue, and Mao Saigo are expected to compete. Thailand, where Atiya Tatikun held out, is also a rival.
Nellie Corda, currently No. 2 in the Rolex Rankings, said, “I’m super excited. I’ve heard a lot of good things about TPC Harding Park, and I’ve heard it’s challenging. And the weather in San Francisco can be challenging, too. I’m excited to be 100 days away from the Hanwha International Crown.” “I want to represent the United States there,” he said while preparing for the tournament.
Currently, we can pick a total of 5 players to be expected for the Korean national team. The top four in the world rankings at the moment are Ko Jin-young (5th), Kim Hyo-joo (8th), Jeon In-ji (9th), and Park Min-ji (14th). Here, Choi Hye-jin (20th) is the player who will compete with Park Min-ji. Jeon In-ji is the only Korean player who is likely to compete twice in a row. Her eldest sister, who has won 3 out of 4 LPGA Tour career wins in major tournaments, is expected to show off her potential in this tournament. He also has experience participating in the 2016 Rio Olympics as a Korean representative.
Ko Jin-young, Kim Hyo-joo, and Jeon In-ji are unlikely to change, and among them, the player who draws the most attention is Park Min-ji. This is because Park Min-ji is a player who only plays in the Korean Women’s Professional Golf Association (KLPGA). If Park Min-ji goes to the Hanwha Life Insurance Crown, this is the first time. This is because it is not easy for a player who does not play on the American stage to receive a good world ranking.
Park Min-ji, who won 6 wins each year on the KLPGA Tour for 2 consecutive years in 2020 and 2021 and took the prize money king, is currently ranked 4th among Korean players by taking advantage of the sluggishness of other LPGA players. A fierce competition with Shinsung Choi Hye-jin (20th) is inevitable. Choi Hye-jin, although she missed out on a win last year, has recorded a whopping 10 top-10 finishes, cementing her place as a new star in Korean women’s golf. 메이저놀이터
Meanwhile, the Hanwha LifePlus International Crown will be held as a four-ball game on Thursdays, Fridays, and Saturdays. After three days of competition, the top two teams from each pool, A and B, advance to Sunday’s competition. The two semi-finals will be played on Sunday morning and each will consist of two singles matches and a foursomes match. The winners of the semifinals will play the final on Sunday afternoon, and the losers in the semifinals will also play the third place match.
An official from Hanwha Life Insurance said, “The Hanwha LIFEPLUS International Crown, a unique national competition unique to the LPGA that all golf fans have been waiting for a long time, is just around the corner. In particular, with the 8 participating countries confirmed in November last year, not only players but also golf fans from around the world cheering for their countries have high expectations. I think it would have grown,” he said. “We will provide new emotions and pleasures that can only be experienced and felt at this event.”