Australia’s women’s golf team pulls off the upset at the International Crown! Their combination of skill, teamwork, determination and perseverance was on full display during the week long tournament. The Australian squad, led by standout Minjee Lee, claimed the unofficial “World Cup” of women’s golf, delivering a series of impressive performances against top international competitors.
Minjee Lee opened the floodgates for Australia with a pivotal 2 and 1 victory over American Angel Yin. This upset victory sent Australia out in front 1-0. Her heady playmaking was one of the stars of the tournament and was a highlight for the USWNT. Individually, she scored an automatic 4.5 out of a possible five points in her matches. Lee’s historic week featured three flawless four-ball matches with partner Steph Kyriacou, proving to be an unstoppable duo in their time together on the course.
In Sunday’s semi-finals and final, Lee was still in the zone. She enjoyed great success as she triumphed in both her singles matches, most notably coming from behind for a stunning victory against Canada’s Brooke Henderson. Lee was three down with only six holes to play, but came back to earn a surprising 1-up win. Lee set up a dramatic victory, one of four such comebacks in the same tournament. Her tenacity and skill under pressure were on full display.
At the same time, Hannah Green was equally influential in ensuring Australia’s win. Despite five days of difficulty securing a single point, Green finally took home the draw. She did that by knocking off Yealimi Noh in a must-have 2 and 1 win. She closed the victory with a 12-foot birdie putt on the last hole to seal her name. It was this amazing shot that contributed immensely to Australia’s epic success.
That semi-final performance earlier on Sunday was incredible! Noh and Yin joined forces to card a blistering 11 birdies in only 16 holes. Kyriacou for sure provided the coolest moment on Saturday. She rolled in a pressure-packed nine-foot downhill slider for birdie on the last hole, and that was enough to send Australia into the next round.
The contest finished in exciting fashion with a sudden-death play-off. Australia winning it on that 20th hole, solidifying their hold as the top power in women’s golf worldwide. Minjee Lee’s perfect 5-0 run in five exciting match-play matches were key in Australia’s path to victory.
