Korea LPGA team dominates The Queens presented by Kowa Final

 

Winning Korean Team

(NAGOYA, JAPAN – Sunday 3rd December, 2016) Captain Jiyai Shin’s nine-woman team representing the Korean Ladies Professional Golf Association (KLPGA) won seven and halved one of their eight singles matches against the LPGA of Japan (JLPGA) Team in the ‘Championship Final’ at Miyoshi Country Club in Nagoya to win the second edition of The Queens presented by Kowa: the unique and innovative team match play event between the KLPGA, JLPGA, Ladies European Tour (LET) and Australian Ladies Professional Golf Tour (ALPG).

KLPGA captain Shin led by example with a dominant 5 and 4 win over Shiho Oyama in the top match, which was the first of seven consecutive singles victories for the Koreans, before Japan’s Kotone Hori gave the hosts reason to cheer when she halved the eighth and final match with Seung Hyun Lee.

Shin congratulated all of the tours and their captains, Risuko Ryu, Trish Johnson and Rachel Hetherington respectively. She said: “I will take great memories from here. I’m very proud of my team because they played so solid today and I’m very impressed with them. This is the end of the season and a great event for all of us.”

JLPGA captain, Ritsuko Ryu, said: “Congratulations to the KLPGA: it was a great contest and an honour. We always think that the KLPGA players are fantastic. Our nine players, including myself, played to their absolute best and we don’t really have any regrets, but I think we can take this forward to next year’s event and this will give us the motivation to strive once again.”

In the ‘Third Place Final’ between the LET and ALPG, Johnson’s team defeated the ALPG by nine points to seven in a nail biting finish which came down to the last putt in the final match between Linda Wessberg and Stacey Keating.

After wins from LET players Georgia Hall, Catriona Matthew and Florentyna Parker and a half from the fifth match featuring Nanna Koerstz Madsen and Su-Hyun Oh, the teams were tied on seven points each. 

One up with one to play but unaware of the significance of her match, Wessberg made a par four on the 18th to seal the result. Johnson said: “They put up a great fight at the end and made a lot of birdies. Fortunately Linda is made of stern stuff and I’m very relieved.”

First-time captain Johnson added: “I can honestly say it’s one of the best events I’ve ever been to. All the players will say what a pleasure it is to play in Japan. The crowds are just fantastic, so respectful and just lovely to play with and we’ve even got a couple of fans actually!  I saw a few European flags, which was pretty strange! It was just wonderful organisation and we were treated so well. If anybody has not been here and played in The Queens presented by Kowa then believe me, you want to play in it. It’s just sensational.”

ALPG Captain Hetherington commented: “I’m very proud of the ALPG Team and the girls gave every match their best and it was very close. I was pleased to be captain to these great girls and I hope it spurs them on to a great end of the season and look forward to next year.”



Friday Foursomes Results

Match 1

Ritsuko Ryu and Kotone Hori (JLPGA) defeated Florentyna Parker and Georgia Hall (LET) 2 and 1

Match 2

Min Sun Kim and Su Yeon Jang (KLPGA) defeated Whitney Hillier and Rachel Hetherington (ALPG) 2 and 1

Match 3

Catriona Matthew and Nanna Koerstz Madsen (LET) defeated Sarah Kemp and Stacey Keating (ALPG) 2 and 1

Match 4

Shiho Oyama and Ai Suzuki (JLPGA) defeated Jin-Young Ko and Jiyai Shin (KLPGA) 1 up

Match 5

Yukari Nishiyama and Megumi Shimokawa (JLPGA) defeated Katherine Kirk and Lauren Hibbert (ALPG) 2 up

Match 6

Nuria Iturrios and Isabelle Boineau (LET) defeated Hee Won Jung and Seon Woo Bae (KLPGA) 2 and 1

Match 7

Erika Kikuchi and Ayaka Watanabe (JLPGA) defeated Linda Wessberg and Becky Morgan (LET) 1 up

Match 8

Hae Rym Kim and Seung Hyun Lee (KLPGA) defeated Su-Hyun Oh and Sarah Jane Smith (ALPG) 4 and 3

Cumulative Scores: (2 points for a win, 1 point for a halved match)

JLPGA: 8

LET: 4

KLPGA: 4

ALPG: 0

Saturday Four-ball Results

Match 1

Catriona Matthew and Georgia Hall (LET) defeated Katherine Kirk and Lauren Hibbert (ALPG) 6 and 4

Match 2

Jiyai Shin and Min Sun Kim (KLPGA) defeated Shiho Oyama and Ai Suzuki (JLPGA) 4 and 2

Match 3

Ritsuko Ryu and Megumi Shimokawa (JLPGA) defeated Sarah Jane Smith and Sarah Kemp (ALPG) 4 and 3

Match 4

Jeongmin Cho and Jin-Young Ko (LPGA) defeated Becky Morgan and Nuria Iturrios (LET) 2 and 1

Match 5

Florentyna Parker and Isabelle Boineau (LET) halved with Yumiko Yoshida and Kotone Hori (JLPGA)

Match 6

Hee Won Jung and Seon Woo Bae (KLPGA) defeated Stacey Keating and Cathryn Bristow (ALPG) 3 and 2

Match 7

Su-Hyun Oh and Whitney Hillier (ALPG) defeated Linda Wessberg and Nanna Koerstz Madsen (LET) 2 and 1

Match 8

Su Yeon Jang and Seung Hyun Lee (KLPGA) defeated Erika Kikuchi and Ayaka Watanabe (JLPGA) 3 and 2

Cumulative Scores:  (2 points for a win, 1 point for a halved match)

KLPGA: 12

JLPGA: 11

LET: 7

ALPG: 2

Sunday Singles (all previous scores are scratched before final day)

Third Place Final between LET and ALPG

Match 1

Georgia Hall (LET) defeated Katherine Kirk 2 and 1

Match 2

Catriona Matthew (LET) defeated Rachel Hetherington 2 up

Match 3

Sarah Jane Smith (ALPG) defeated Nuria Iturrios 3 and 2

Match 4

Cathryn Bristow (ALPG) defeated Isabelle Boineau 2 up

Match 5

Nanna Koerstz Madsen (LET) halved with Su-Hyun Oh (ALPG)

Match 6

Florentyna Parker (LET) defeated Sarah Kemp 5 and 4

Match 7

Whitney Hillier (ALPG) defeated Becky Morgan (LET) 1 up

Match 8

Linda Wessberg (LET) defeated Stacey Keating 1 up

Result: LET 9 points, ALPG 7 points



Championship Final between KLPGA and LPGA of Japan

Match 1

Jiyai Shin (KLPGA) defeated Shiho Oyama 5 and 4

Match 2

Min Sun Kim (KLPGA) defeated Ai Suzuki 4 and 3

Match 3

Su Yeon Jang (KLPGA) defeated Ritsuko Ryu 1 up

Match 4

Hae Rym Kim (KLPGA) defeated Megumi Shimokawa 3 and 2

Match 5

Jin-Young Ko (KLPGA) defeated Erika Kikuchi 3 and 1

Match 6

Jeongmin Cho (KLPGA) defeated Yukari Nishiyama 2 and 1

Match 7

Seon Woo Bae (KLPGA) defeated Ayaka Watanabe 1 up

Match 8

Seung Hyun Lee (LPGA) halved with Kotone Hori (JLPGA)

Result: KLPGA 15 points, JLPGA 1 point