Teams, format, matches for return of the Hanwha Lifeplus International Crown
The Hanwha Lifeplus International Crown will be contested this week. It's the fourth edition of the biennial tournament, but the first since 2018, because of the pandemic.
Eight countries, represented by 32 players, will compete Thursday-Sunday at TPC Harding Park in San Francisco, California. Golf Channel will air live coverage of all four days of the competition, from 6-9 p.m. ET. There will be a special Peacock window for Sunday's semifinals (stream times TBD). Here is the format:
Two groups with four teams in each group
Each team will play the others within the group over three days of fourballs (better ball)
The top 2 point earners from each group will advance to Sunday
The semifinals, between the No. 1 seed in Group A and the No. 2 seed in Group B, and vice versa, will consist of two singles matches and one foursomes (alternate shot) match
The two semifinal winning teams will compete in the same format in the finals, with a consolation match
Full scoring from the Hanwha Lifeplus International Crown
Below are the eight teams that qualified (based on aggregate Rolex Ranking points earned through April 3), the matches slated for group play and the respective players who are competing. Past champions include: South Korea (2018), United States (2016) and Spain (2014).
Group A (seed): United States (1), Sweden (4), England (5), China (8).
Group B (seed): Korea (2), Japan (3), Thailand (6), Australia (7)
Thursday matches:
Group A: United States vs. China
Group A: Sweden vs. England
Group B: Korea vs. Australia
Group B: Japan vs. Thailand
Friday matches:
Group A: United States vs. England
Group A: Sweden vs. China
Group B: Korea vs. Thailand
Group B: Australia vs. Japan
Saturday matches:
Group A: United States vs. Sweden
Group A: England vs. China
Group B: Korea vs. Japan
Group B: Thailand vs. Australia
United States
Nelly Korda (current Rolex Ranking: 1)
Lilia Vu (4)
Lexi Thompson (7)
Danielle Kang (16)
South Korea
Jin Young Ko (3)
Hyo-Joo Kim (9)
In Gee Chun (12)
Hye Jin Choi (25)
Japan
Nasa Hataoka (15)
Ayaka Furue (19)
Yuka Saso (35)
Hinako Shibuno (39)
Sweden
Maja Stark (30)
Madelene Sagstrom (31)
Anna Nordqvist (36)
Caroline Hedwall (130 – replacing Linn Grant)
England
Jodi Ewart Shadoff (49)
Bronte Law (116)
Alice Hewson (178) – replacing Georgia Hall)
Liz Young (222 – replacing Charley Hull)
Thailand
Atthaya Thitikul (5)
Patty Tavatanakit (63)
Moriya Jutanugarn (80)
Ariya Jutanugarn (83)
Australia
Minjee Lee (6)
Hannah Green (14)
Stephanie Kyriacou (118)
Sarah Kemp (161)
China
Xiyu Lin (13)
Ruoning Yin (21)
Yu Liu (125)
Ruixin Liu (271)