England and the United States swept their morning fourball matches to take control of their respective pools.
The English moved ahead of the Koreans in Pool A, setting up a head-to-head showdown in the third and final round of fourballs, which was scheduled for Friday afternoon.
The United States will be looking to win Pool B in a matchup with Thailand Friday afternoon.
The top two teams from each pool advance to Sunday singles, with the third-place teams in each pool going into a sudden-death fourball playoff to determine who will be the fifth team to make singles.
With heavy winds and rain from the outer bands of Typhoon Kong-Rey expected Saturday, it’s uncertain if the third-round matches that aren’t complete on Friday will be able to finish on Saturday.
Full-field scores from UL International Crown
UL International Crown: Articles, photos and videos
Standings through two rounds
|
POOL A |
POINTS |
W-L-T |
|
England |
7 |
3-0-1 |
|
Korea |
6 |
3-1-0 |
|
Australia |
3 |
1-2-1 |
|
Chinese Taipei |
0 |
0-4-0 |
|
POOL B |
POINTS |
W-L-T |
|
United States |
6 |
3-1-0 |
|
Sweden |
4 |
2-2-0 |
|
Thailand |
3 |
1-2-1 |
|
Japan |
3 |
1-2-1 |
Match 1: Anna Nordqvist and Caroline Hedwall (SWE) def. Misuzu Narita and Mamiko Higa (JPN), 6 and 4
The Swedes are proving a tough combination. Nordqvist and Hedwall are now 4-0-1 overall as a team in the International Crown, 7-1-1 as a team in Crowns and Solheim Cups combined. A day after starting with four birdies over the first five holes in a victory against Americans Michelle Wie and Jessica Korda, they were hot again. With birdies at the ninth, 10th and 11th holes Friday, they built a 5-up lead.
Match 2: Ayako Uehara and Nasa Hataoka (JPN) def. Pernilla Lindberg and Madelene Sagstrom (SWE), 4 and 3
Japan birdied three of the first four holes to go 3 up and cruised without much a challenge the rest of the way. The Swedes struggled, winning just a single hole all morning.
Match 3: Jessica Korda and Michelle Wie (USA) def. Moriya Jutanugarn and Pornanong Phatlum (THA), 6 and 4
Korda and Wie birdied three of the first seven holes to go 3 up and never looked back. A pair of big hitters, they overpowered their short-hitting competition, blowing drives past the Thais all day.
Match 4: Cristie Kerr and Lexi Thompson (USA) def. Ariya Jutanugarn and Sherman Santiwiwatthanaphong (THA), 4 and 3
Thompson continues to shrink this course with her big drives, but her putter was the story Friday. She holed a 50-footer for birdie at the 10th to put the Americans 3 up. She also holed lenghty putts at the second and fourth to win those holes. Kerr gutted out a gritty performance playing sick with a sore throat. The American combo is now 10-1-2 in Solheim Cups and International Crowns.
Match 5: Georgia Hall and Charley Hull (ENG) def. Wei-Ling Hsu and Teresa Lu, 2 and 1
Hull stuffed her tee shot to 6 feet at the 13th and made birdie to move England 1 up in a tight match. The duo will now move on to face the Koreans in the third round of fourballs.
Match 6: Bronte Law and Jodi Ewart Shadoff (ENG) def. Candie Kung and Phoebe Yao (TPE), 6 and 4
Shadoff pitched in for birdie at the second to put England up, and when Law stuck her approach to 6 feet at the ninth, the match was almost decided. She holed the birdie to put the Brits 4 up. The English duo hasn’t trailed in their first two matches, neither of which has gone beyond the 15th hole. Shadoff is now 5-0-1 overall in Crown play.
Match 7: So Yeon Ryu and In Gee Chun (KOR) def. Minjee Lee and Sarah Jane Smith (AUS), 2 and 1
Ryu holed four birdies on the front nine, and Chun nearly made a hole-in-one at the 13th to lead the early effort. Chun’s tee shot teased the hole at the 13th and ended up 2 feet past, to set up a birdie for an important half to keep a 3 up lead. Ryu sealed the deal with a 15-foot birdie at the 17th to clinch the match.
Match 8: Katherine Kirk and Su Oh (AUS) def. Sung Hyun Park and I.K. Kim (KOR), 3 and 2
The Koreans bogeyed the first hole and trailed the entire match. Katherine Kirk holed a 15-foot birdie at the 15th to put the Aussies 3 up. The Koreans didn’t make a birdie until the 13th hole.
Source: Internet
