Women's Golf International Team Competition... "Who Will Take the Last Spot?"

Held for Four Days from May 4 to 7
Ko Jin-young, Jeon In-ji, Kim Hyo-joo Confirmed to Participate

Competition is fierce for the tickets to participate in the women's golf international team event, the Hanwha LifePlus International Crown. With Ko Jin-young, Jeon In-ji, and Kim Hyo-joo's participation confirmed, Park Min-ji, Choi Hye-jin, and Kim Se-young are battling for the remaining spot.

Held from May 4 to 7 at TPC Harding Park in San Francisco, California, the Hanwha LifePlus International Crown is a biennial women's golf international team competition where the world's top 8 countries and 32 players compete. Four players with the highest world rankings from each country participate. This year, the participating players will be determined based on the world rankings announced after the LPGA Tour's 'DIO Implant LA Open' held at the end of this month.

Korean team that won the 2018 International Crown
[Photo by Yonhap News]

For Korean players, Ko Jin-young, Jeon In-ji, and Kim Hyo-joo have already secured their spots. As of the 9th, Ko Jin-young holds the highest world ranking among domestic players. She rose from 5th to 3rd in the world rankings after winning the LPGA Tour HSBC Women's World Championship, which ended on the 5th. Next are Jeon In-ji at 8th and Kim Hyo-joo at 9th, maintaining high rankings. The gap between them and other players is significant, so their participation tickets are practically secured.

The key issue is the remaining ticket. The competition between Park Min-ji, ranked 19th, and Choi Hye-jin, ranked 21st, is expected to be intense. If Choi Hye-jin achieves good results in the LPGA Drive On Championship and the DIO Implant LA Open before the rankings are finalized, she can easily surpass Park Min-ji and secure a spot. Choi Hye-jin is currently on a roll, having placed within the top 20 in her last two tournaments. On the other hand, Park Min-ji, who competes in the Korean Ladies Professional Golf Association (KLPGA), has no tournaments until the first week of next month and can only watch Choi Hye-jin's comeback attempt.

Kim Se-young, ranked 29th, also has a chance to make a comeback. Similarly, if she performs well in the LPGA Tour, she can qualify. Having participated in the previous tournament, Kim Se-young expressed her enthusiasm in a recent interview, saying, "Having played in the tournament before, I know how fun and meaningful it is, so my desire to participate again is even greater."