Aussie golf aces deliver again to reach Crown finalDarren WaltonAAPSun, 26 October 2025 12:07PM
Australia’s never-say-die golf aces have pulled off a miraculous comeback win to sweep into the final of the unofficial women’s team World Cup in South Korea.
Superstar world No.3 Minjee Lee led the fightback with a stunning 1 up victory over dual major winner Brooke Henderson, having been three down against the Canadian with six holes to play.
Lee’s fourth spirited comeback win in four days levelled Australia’s semi-final with Team World after Englishwoman Charley Hull beat Hannah Green 2 & 1 in the opening singles match in Seoul on Sunday.
After going unbeaten in her three four-ball matches this week with Lee, Steph Kyriacou again stepped up, partnering Grace Kim to a thrilling second-hole play-off win over New Zealand’s Hall of Famer Lydia Ko and Taiwan’s Wei-Lin Hsu.
Like Lee in the singles, Kyriacou and Kim trailed all day in the foursomes until Kim drained a pressure-filled 10-foot birdie putt at the par-4 last to square the match and force extra holes at New Korea Country Club.
In an unfortunate finish, Ko sent a wild tee shot at the 20th hole deep into the bushes, leaving Kim only needing a two-putt par to advance to the final in most improbable fashion.
Runners-up to Thailand in the previous edition of the biennial teams’ event in 2023, Australia’s hopes of playing for the International Crown title again seemed forlorn when Green, Lee and Kyriacou and Kim were all staring down multi-hole deficits on the back nine on Sunday.
Now, though, the star-studded line-up have the chance to deny the top-seeded USA from becoming the first repeat winners of the multi-million-dollar showpiece in Sunday afternoon’s championship tie.
Team USA progressed after Yealimi Noh produced her best impersonation of absent world No.2 Nelly Korda with a phenomenal semi-final display.
Filling in for Korda, who withdrew three weeks ago, Noh jagged 11 birdies in 16 holes to crush reigning British Open champion Miyu Yamashita 4 & 2 to secure the USA victory over second-seeded Japan.
Angel Yin had earlier beaten Rio Takeda 2 & 1 before Japanese pair Mayo Saigo and Ayaka Furue claimed a consolation point with a 1 up foursomes win over the previously undefeated Lilia Vu and Lauren Coughlin.
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