One of the biggest criticisms of the Hanwha LIFEPLUS International Crown was the exclusion of superstars like Brooke Henderson of Canada and Lydia Ko of New Zealand, from countries without a major presence in women’s golf.
The LPGA has fixed this issue, adding a World Team to the mix.
Previously, the format included teams of four from eight countries going head-to-head in match play. Now, there will be seven countries included, with the final slot being taken up by the World Team.
It will not be just as simple as the top four players not from already qualifying countries. It will include the highest ranked player from the Americas, the highest ranked player from Europe, the highest ranked player from Asia and the highest ranked player from Africa/Oceania.
The seven countries represented will be decided after the KPMG Women’s PGA Championship, while the players will be decided after the AIG Women’s Open.
At the moment, The United States, Republic of Korea, Japan, Thailand, Australia, Sweden and China would be the seven teams represented. This could set up a fascinating race for the European spot on the world team between Celine Boutier (No. 9) and Charley Hull (No. 10).
The event will be held Oct. 23 – 26 at New Korea Golf Club.
