The LPGA announced that the Hanwha Lifeplus International Crown will return to the schedule May 4-7, 2023, at San Francisco’s TPC Harding Park, as first reported by Golfweek.
The unique event consists of four players from the top eight countries in a team match-play competition. The Crown was last held in 2018 in South Korea, where the team of So Yeon Ryu, Sung Hyun Park, In-Kyung Kim and In Gee Chun triumphed on home soil in front of a packed and boisterous crowd.
The biennial event was created under the leadership of former LPGA commissioner Mike Whan and debuted in 2014 at Caves Valley Golf Club in Owings Mills, Maryland. Spain won the first contest, followed by the United States in 2016 at the Merit Club just north of Chicago.
The event will return to South Korea in 2025.
The field of eight countries will be determined by the combined Rolex Women’s World Golf Rankings of the top four players from each country as of Nov. 21, 2022, immediately following the CME Group Tour Championship. The final field of 32 players will be determined via the Rolex Rankings as of April 2, 2023, immediately following the Palos Verdes Championship.
“The Hanwha Lifeplus International Crown is a true marker of the global reach of the LPGA. The 32 athletes who will compete at TPC Harding Park in 2023 will have the ultimate honor of playing under their national colors and representing their countries, one of the most exciting opportunities an athlete can experience,” LPGA commissioner Mollie Marcoux Samaan said in a release. “We are very happy to bring the International Crown back to our schedule and are incredibly thankful to our partners at Hanwha, TPC Harding Park and the San Francisco Recreation and Parks Department for their shared vision and dedication to providing our players and our fans with a world-class experience.”
In Gee Chun, So Yoen Ryu, In-Kyung Kim and Sung Hyun Park of South Korea pose for photographs with the trophy after winning the UL International Crown at Jack Nicklaus Golf Club on October 7, 2018 in Incheon, South Korea. (Photo by Chung Sung-Jun/Getty Images)
The first three days of competition will be the four-ball format. Sunday’s final round will feature a new twist, with two singles matches and one foursomes match taking place. With no team captain, the four players from each country will determine their strategy.
The winning semifinal countries will compete in the final match on Sunday afternoon, along with a third-place match between the two losing semifinal countries. The final and third-place match will be played in the same format as the semifinals.
Harding Park, designed by Willie Watson and Sam Whiting, opened in 1925 and was named after U.S. President Warren G. Harding. Following a $16 million renovation in 2002-2003, TPC Harding Park has hosted such events as the 2005 WGC-American Express Championship; the 2009 Presidents Cup; the 2010, 2011 and 2013 Charles Schwab Cup Championship; the 2015 WGC Dell Technologies Match Play; and the 2020 PGA Championship.
The Crown will be the first elite women’s competition held at Harding Park.