World No 1 Jeeno Thitikul impressed with immaculate form on the first day of the LPGA’s Hanwha LIFEPLUS International Crown tournament on Thursday, while the United States beat China twice in fourball matches.
Thitikul and partner Pajaree Anannarukarn of Thailand beat Hannah Green and Grace Kim of Australia 1-up at the New Korea Country Club.
It was Thitikul’s sixth consecutive win at the team competition.
Australia’s Minjee Lee and Steph Kyriacou beat Chanettee Wannasaen and Jasmine Suwannapura 2-up to split the points with Thailand on the opening day.
Americans Yealimi Noh and Angel Yin routed China’s Liu Yan and Yin Ruoning 5 and 4, and later Lilia Vu and Lauren Coughlin beat Zhang Weiwei and Liu Ruixin 1-up.
The US was the only team to have won both its opening matches.
Charley Hull and Lydia Ko from the World team staged a comeback and birdied the final hole for a tie with Japan’s Rio Takeda and Miyu Yamashita.
Brooke Henderson and Wei-Ling Hsu rallied for a 2 and 1 win over Ayaka Furue and Mao Saigo to pick up 1.5 points against their opponents.
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South Korea’s Hyo Joo Kim and Hye-Jin Choi beat Sweden’s Maja Stark and Linn Grant 3 and 2, whilst Jin Young Ko and Haeran Ryu finished tied with Ingrid Lindblad and Madelene Sagstrom as they earned 1.5 points.
Seven countries and a ‘rest of the world’ team compete in two pools with the US, China, Australia and Thailand in Pool A, and South Korea, the World team, Japan and Sweden in Pool B.
The fourball matches continue on Friday and Saturday. The top two countries from each pool will advance to Sunday’s semi-finals and finals that consist of one foursomes (alternate shot) and two singles matches.
Watch the Hanwha LIFEPLUS International Crown live on Sky Sports Mix on Friday, October 24 from 3.00am and on Sky Sports+ from 6.00am. Stream the PGA Tour, DP World Tour, LPGA Tour and more golf contract-free with NOW.
