2016 UL International Crown

[AKL Kiwi]

Venue: Merit Club, Gurnee, IL, USA.

Date: July 21 – July 24

Course stats: par 72 6,668 yards

Format: Match play

Purse: $1,600,000

Title Champion: Spain (15 points)

 

The field for this tournament (32).

 

Qualifiers: #1 Republic of Korea, #2 United States, #3 Japan, #4 Australia, #5 Chinese Taipei, #6 Thailand, #7 England, #8 China.

 

Official Website: http://www.ulcrown.com/

 

Twitter: https://twitter.com/...wn/with_replies

[Argonne69]

The course seems to be set up long. Home team advantage?

[Rangeballz]

Spain is the defending champion but didn't get invited back?

[Argonne69]

Spain is the defending champion but didn't get invited back?

 

Nope. You gotta earn your way back.

[AKL Kiwi]

Without Lydia the interest here won't be as big but it will still be live on Sky Sports and were getting a good number of hours coverage too. Although team Korea are deserving of favourites here as we saw in the inaugural tournament depending on how the draw turns out the winner could almost totally avoid them which to me is a little disappointing but I'm not sure how they could change it. Still I'm sure we're going to see some exciting matchups and I'm looking forward watching some of them. I also think they have done a nice job of producing a fitting trophy.

 

 

[ingeeisgod]

I don't think the Koreans should be the favorite. Maybe the bookies will make them but I wouldn't bet on it. They already have bad karma by forcing Ha-Na off the team. Plus they have zero leadership. I don't see them winning it. Japan has the chemistry and no black clouds hanging over them. Plus I like Japan's draw.

[Argonne69]

I'm going to have to go with the U.S. team. Their world rankings may have dropped a bit in the past year, but they were all members of last year's winning Solheim Cup team, which makes them as close to a real team as any.

[4waymiss]

I don't think the Koreans should be the favorite. Maybe the bookies will make them but I wouldn't bet on it. They already have bad karma by forcing Ha-Na off the team. Plus they have zero leadership. I don't see them winning it. Japan has the chemistry and no black clouds hanging over them. Plus I like Japan's draw.

 

Welcome InGeeIsGod. I wonder who is your favorite LPGA golfer .. :)

 

Unless you have insider info, I think it is Ha Na who chose not to play with Dumbo. I think she took this whole suitcase fiasco pretty hard.

 

I think for a 4 player team, chemistry is much more important than leadership, which could be the primary concern of Ha Ha. So she basically took one for the team.

[Leftagain]

The Draw,

 

 

 

 

Teams with current Rolex rankings,

 

 

[Leftagain]

On pure players it's hard to go past Korea or the US but as evidenced last time out you don't need the best players to win this thing, just the best combinations so it's pretty open from what I see..

 

I like the look of Thailand, Pornanong played great in this last time and with Ariya and Moriya playing well this time around they could do good things.

[Seamus_McDuff]

Hope they're ready for the heat. Gonna be brutal on Thursday and Friday.

 

I'm picking England.

[mnmlistgolfr]

I don't think the Koreans should be the favorite. Maybe the bookies will make them but I wouldn't bet on it. They already have bad karma by forcing Ha-Na off the team. Plus they have zero leadership. I don't see them winning it. Japan has the chemistry and no black clouds hanging over them. Plus I like Japan's draw.

 

Really? Nomura doesn't speak Japanese very well and is more comfortable speaking with members of Team Korea.

 

My pick is the team that has the best player- Thailand.

[AKL Kiwi]

I don't think the Koreans should be the favorite. Maybe the bookies will make them but I wouldn't bet on it. They already have bad karma by forcing Ha-Na off the team. Plus they have zero leadership. I don't see them winning it. Japan has the chemistry and no black clouds hanging over them. Plus I like Japan's draw.

 

My pick is the team that has the best player- Thailand.

 

Can't argue with that but even a "B" team from Korea would look real threat ( Ha-Na Jang, Sung Hyun Park, Bo-Mee Lee, Hyo-Joo Kim ) and that's still without a fully fit Inbee Park!

[jkumpire]

I hope there is a lot of Golf Channel coverage of this event. It is a great event for women's goilf, especially since this format is one of the formats the OlympicTournament could have used instead of stroke play. Obviously a two-woman team competition is best, but this is much better than what they are using in Rio.

 

AKLKiwi is right on, a Korea "B" team might be the best in the the tournament, certainly in the top 3. But their dominance wil lnto last forever, and who knows what the country with the ability to make two or three great teams will be.

[Argonne69]

Have the tee times for the four-ball matches been posted anywhere?

[Warrick]

I will have to root for Kora here, In-Gee ans So-Yeon are 2 of my favorites on tour.

 

I am not a fan of Stacey Lewis or Kerr, do like the other 2.

 

I enjoy these events.

[tbowles411]

Spain is the defending champion but didn't get invited back?

 

Nope. You gotta earn your way back.

That's right. Only one of them was ranked high enough to field a team.

[Fish mojo]

Lame format, but has to be better than last week's snoozathon at the Marathon. That Sunday production from CBS and repeated Marathon commercials (same 2 commercials over and over every 5 minutes) was atrocious.

[AKL Kiwi]

 

 

Team Korea look a little serious here I guess they are under the most pressure of any team to perform well especially from the press back home. On rankings again they have the strongest team but this is match play. Not sure who you would leave out but a Lexi Thompson Sung Hyun Park matchup would have been exciting to watch maybe 2018?

[Argonne69]

 

 

Team Korea look a little serious here I guess they are under the most pressure of any team to perform well especially from the press back home. On rankings again they have the strongest team but this is match play. Not sure who you would leave out but a Lexi Thompson Sung Hyun Park matchup would have been exciting to watch maybe 2018?

 

I'm not saying there isn't talent on the KLPGA, but if Sung Hyun wants to make the 2018 team, she has to come over to the LPGA go get her world ranking up.

[AKL Kiwi]

 

 

Team Korea look a little serious here I guess they are under the most pressure of any team to perform well especially from the press back home. On rankings again they have the strongest team but this is match play. Not sure who you would leave out but a Lexi Thompson Sung Hyun Park matchup would have been exciting to watch maybe 2018?

 

I'm not saying there isn't talent on the KLPGA, but if Sung Hyun wants to make the 2018 team, she has to come over to the LPGA go get her world ranking up.

 

A lot depends on which of the new Korean players stay committed to the LPGA after the Olympics which was the reason for coming over to get their rankings up. I'm sure with the 2018 UL International Crown to be held in the Republic of Korea Sung Hyun will be keen to be there. Getting and making the most of a couple of LPGA sponsor invites before then is all she may need but I agree her best chance is to get on the LPGA.

[davechen]

Go Taiwan!

 

Also, this "Chinese, Taipei" thing is crap.

[Argonne69]

 

 

Team Korea look a little serious here I guess they are under the most pressure of any team to perform well especially from the press back home. On rankings again they have the strongest team but this is match play. Not sure who you would leave out but a Lexi Thompson Sung Hyun Park matchup would have been exciting to watch maybe 2018?

 

I'm not saying there isn't talent on the KLPGA, but if Sung Hyun wants to make the 2018 team, she has to come over to the LPGA go get her world ranking up.

 

A lot depends on which of the new Korean players stay committed to the LPGA after the Olympics which was the reason for coming over to get their rankings up. I'm sure with the 2018 UL International Crown to be held in the Republic of Korea Sung Hyun will be keen to be there. Getting and making the most of a couple of LPGA sponsor invites before then is all she may need but I agree her best chance is to get on the LPGA.

 

I just don't see it happening with a few starts. The top 15 players in the world are full time LPGA players. Unless you're playing against them week in and week out, you're not going to climb the ranks.

[Leftagain]

Thursday Matches are out,

 

Pool A

Match 1 – 8:00 a.m.

Australia vs. Chinese Taipei

Karrie Webb and Su Oh vs. Yani Tseng and Teresa Lu

 

Match 2 – 8:15 a.m.

Australia vs. Chinese Taipei

Minjee Lee and Rebecca Artis vs. Candie Kung and Ssu-Chia Cheng

 

Match 7 – 9:30 a.m.

Republic of Korea vs. China

Amy Yang and In Gee Chun vs. Shanshan Feng and Xi Yu Lin

 

Match 8 – 9:45 a.m.

Republic of Korea vs. China

So Yeon Ryu and Sei Young Kim vs. Jing Yan and Simin Feng

 

Pool B

Match 3 – 8:30 a.m.

Japan vs. Thailand

Mika Miyazato and Haru Nomura vs. Moriya Jutanugarn and Pornanong Phatlum

 

Match 4 – 8:45 a.m.

Japan vs. Thailand

Ai Suzuki and Ayaka Watanabe vs. Porani Chutichai and Ariya Jutanugarn

 

Match 5 – 9:00 a.m.

USA vs England

Cristie Kerr and Lexi Thompson vs. Jodi Ewart Shadoff and Holly Clyburn

 

Match 6 – 9:15 a.m.

USA vs. England

Gerina Piller and Stacy Lewis vs. Charley Hull and Mel Reid

[Leftagain]

Not too many surprises there except the Thai Sisters are split up..

 

China seems to have loaded their first team out with Shanshan and Xi Yu together, probably their best bet at getting one against the Koreans.

[preiter20]

It going to be steamy here this week. The course is about two miles from my house but parking is about five miles away. I wonder if they have bike racks?

 

Christie and Lexi win Thursday 5&4 is my guess. SYR and SYK win 8&7, I see it as a blowout. Minjee Lee, on her own ball, wins 3&2. Ariya dismantles Japan as well.

[Tailgater]

My predictions for Thursday

 

Match 1 – Yani Tseng and Teresa Lu

 

Match 2 – Minjee Lee and Rebecca Artis

 

Match 7 – Amy Yang and In Gee Chun

 

Match 8 – So Yeon Ryu and Sei Young Kim

 

Match 3 – Moriya Jutanugarn and Pornanong Phatlum

 

Match 4 – Porani Chutichai and Ariya Jutanugarn

 

Match 5 – Cristie Kerr and Lexi Thompson

 

Match 6 – Gerina Piller and Stacy Lewis (toughest match of the day)

[Tailgater]

 

 

Team Korea look a little serious here I guess they are under the most pressure of any team to perform well especially from the press back home. On rankings again they have the strongest team but this is match play. Not sure who you would leave out but a Lexi Thompson Sung Hyun Park matchup would have been exciting to watch maybe 2018?

There is significant pressure on the USA team after not even making Singles play in 2014.

 

How are the Singles matches determined between the five teams?

[Leftagain]

 

 

Team Korea look a little serious here I guess they are under the most pressure of any team to perform well especially from the press back home. On rankings again they have the strongest team but this is match play. Not sure who you would leave out but a Lexi Thompson Sung Hyun Park matchup would have been exciting to watch maybe 2018?

There is significant pressure on the USA team after not even making Singles play in 2014.

 

How are the Singles matches determined between the five teams?

 

I think there's a ton of pressure on the Koreans as well after not winning it last time, if they don't win this time they will be turned away at the gate next time they try to go home.. :taunt:

 

There's five teams go through to Sunday and each teams plays one match against every other team, I guess it's up to the teams which order they go out in so I presume they don't know who will play who until the draw is announced..

[Leftagain]

My wild guesses for Thursday..

 

Match 1 – Karrie Webb and Su Oh vs. Yani Tseng and Teresa Lu (be a close one I think unless Karrie takes out Su Oh early on for knocking her out of the Olympics)

Match 2 –Minjee Lee and Rebecca Artis vs. Candie Kung and Ssu-Chia Cheng (another close one, Candie has been playing well of late)

Match 7 – Amy Yang and In Gee Chun vs. Shanshan Feng and Xi Yu Lin (50-50 this one but I'll give the edge to Shanshan)

Match 8 –So Yeon Ryu and Sei Young Kim vs. Jing Yan and Simin Feng (This one could get ugly and I expect it to finish very early, formidable team Ryu and Kim)

Match 3 – Mika Miyazato and Haru Nomura vs. Moriya Jutanugarn and Pornanong Phatlum (Halved. Haru could be the difference here but I see it being tight)

Match 4 – Ai Suzuki and Ayaka Watanabe vs. Porani Chutichai and Ariya Jutanugarn (don't know much about the Japanese pair, they are no slouches but Ariya is playing too well of late)

Match 5 – Cristie Kerr and Lexi Thompson vs. Jodi Ewart Shadoff and Holly Clyburn (Would love the English to get up here but it's hard to see)

Match 6 – Gerina Piller and Stacy Lewis vs. Charley Hull and Mel Reid (This is just going to be a matter of who can putt the best, I think Charley will get them over the line)