Pro Golf Now
Fansided

International Crown – Teams Are Taking Form

By Elizabeth Bethel

OWINGS MILLS, MD - JULY 27: Carlota Ciganda of Spain celebrates on the 16th green after Spain won the International Crown at Cave Valley Golf Club on July 27, 2014 in Owings Mills, Maryland. (Photo by Rob Carr/Getty Images)
OWINGS MILLS, MD - JULY 27: Carlota Ciganda of Spain celebrates on the 16th green after Spain won the International Crown at Cave Valley Golf Club on July 27, 2014 in Owings Mills, Maryland. (Photo by Rob Carr/Getty Images) /
facebooktwitterreddit
Prev
1 of 9
Next
International Crown
OWINGS MILLS, MD – JULY 26: Lexi Thompson is hugged by teammate Stacy Lewis after the United States was defeated on the 16th green in a playoff by South Korea during round three of the International Crown at Caves Valley Golf Club on July 26, 2014 in Owings Mills, Maryland. (Photo by Rob Carr/Getty Images) /

A preliminary look at the 2016 International Crown teams yields some intriguing fantasy rankings.

The International Crown is looming. Less than 8 weeks remain before 32 players representing 8 countries tee it up at Chicago’s Merit Club. The countries are set, the players are not.

With a combined ranking of 21 (the sum of the rankings of the top 4 players at the time the countries were determined) Republic of Korea is top seeded in the contest. At 42 points, the United States is ranked second, followed by Japan (142), Chinese Taipei (238), Australia (266), and Thailand (298) with England (at 375) on the bottom of the rankings.

At first glance you might think Korea is a slam dunk to win the Crown. Think again. Remember 2014, and Spain’s spectacular runaway victory. Belen Mozo, Azahara Munoz, Carlota Ciganda and Belen Mozo had been playing on national golf teams since they were children and they brought that depth of experience to four days of magnificent competition.

Read more about Spain’s incredible 2014 International Crown triumph

Although by the stats Korea fielded a much strong team than Spain going into the 2014 Crown, Korea finished 3rd, behind Spain and Sweden and tied with Japan. Top-seeded United States finished 6th, barely edging out Chinese Taipei and Australia. These combined team rankings serve only as an objective standard by which to qualify countries to participate in the event. They’re not effective predictors of success.

This is match play, not individual stroke play. Much will depend on a national team’s ability to work together, to capitalize on each player’s strengths and accommodate individual weaknesses. Unlike the Solheim Cup and the Ryder Cup there are no captains and vice-captains who are setting the pairings and overseeing play. The International Crown is an entirely different animal. It involves four players working together, coaching each other and making pairing decisions by consensus. The internal team dynamic will be as crucial as the individual player strength.

Although final team seeding and composition won’t be determined until after play is completed at the KPMG Women’s PGA Championship, let’s take a look at the likely team composition and suggest a preliminary fantasy ranking for the 8 participating countries..

Next: Republic of Korea

Home/LPGA