Team Australia victorious at 2025 Hanwha LIFEPLUS International Crown — Hear from Ruoning Yin ahead of the Maybank Championship

Team Australia avenged their runner-up finish in 2023 to steal the 2025 Hanwha LIFEPLUS International Crown in a final against Team USA. Here’s how the winning squad’s week went down.

Going into the tournament, Team Australia looked good. Minjee Lee entered the field as the only player to compete in all five iterations of the International Crown. Hannah Green and Steph Kyriacou also returned from that 2023 runner-up team. 2025 major champion Grace Kim was poised to make her International Crown debut in the midst of a strong season. Talk about bringing experience and drive to the competition.

The Aussies had skill and chemistry on their side this week at New Korea Country Club. With three of the four teammates playing together last tournament, all they had to do was initiate their fourth into the traditions and strategies of Australia team golf. This bond between all four players showed. They were buzzing.

On the first day of competition, the Aussies split their matches against Team Thailand, the team they lost to in the 2023 International Crown. The dynamic veteran duo of Lee and Kyriacou won their match against Chanettee Wannasaen and Jasmine Suwannapura, 2 up. It was a tough one that went down to the wire, but Lee’s birdie on the 18th hole solidified an early point for Team Australia. 

On the other side of the matchup, Kim and Green suffered a narrow defeat to Jeeno Thitikul and Pajaree Anannarukarn, 1 down. That team just couldn’t seem to finish the job both in this match and then again in their match against Team China’s Ruoning Yin and Ruixin Liu on day two. Both matches were lost 1 down, despite the putters being on fire for Green and Kim. Sometimes that’s just match play.

But not to worry; in Lee and Kyriacou’s match against Yan Liu and Weiwei Zhang on day two, the vets came back to claim victory 2 and 1. The Aussies showed so much fight with this win and even with the matches they lost. They never let a match get away from them and always gave themselves a chance to win. Going into the third day, Australia was sitting with some valid confidence and good lessons learned.

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On day three, in a foreshadowing of the eventual final matches, Australia faced Team USA and once again split points between their matches. However, the day was a little tougher for the team of Lee and Kyriacou. They tied their match with Yealimi Noh and Angel Yin after a slew of birdies from both sides.

“It was pretty nerve-wracking. I think Michael, my caddie, said we had like 10-under, better ball, and we halved the match. It was some really good golf out there,” Kyriacou said in a post-match press conference on Oct. 25. Her putt to tie the match on the 18th hole was the deciding factor that sent the Australians to the semifinal.

While that match was intense, the other side wasn’t so much. Americans Lauren Coughlin and Lilia Vu routed Green and Kim 5 and 4 on their way to the top of Pool A and a semifinal appearance.

Then, on Championship Sunday, final spots for Team Australia and the World Team were on the line. Charley Hull defeated Green 2 and 1 in the first singles match between the two sides, securing what would be the World Team’s only point in their semifinal matches. Lee took down Brooke Henderson 1 up to notch an important point for the Australians, and Kyriacou and Kim went 20 holes with Wei-Ling Hsu and Lydia Ko to send the Aussies to the finals.

And who else would Team Australia face in the finals but the powerhouse of Team USA? Lee, Australia’s veteran and best match play asset, was sent out for the first singles match once again, this time to face Angel Yin. After a back-and-forth contest between two incredible players, Lee won the 16th and 17th holes to close it out and secure a point for Australia.

In Green’s singles match against Noh, she was dominant. After the first three holes were tied, Green finally kicked it into gear and won the next three. She then maintained her lead for the rest of the match, not letting Noh get anywhere close to that International Crown. On the 17th hole, Noh missed a birdie putt, and Green had one of her own with a chance to seal the deal.

“My putt on the last hole, I was very nervous. I knew exactly what it was for. I said to the girls, I was just happy I got on the board. I’m glad I could contribute in some way this week,” Green expressed during a post-tournament press conference on Oct. 26. 

Winning that singles match to clinch the International Crown meant everything to Green. She and Kim had lost each of their matches, and she also fell to Hull in the semifinal. With everything on the line, the major champion powered through. Green rose above doubts, expectations and shortcomings to finally deliver that coveted International Crown trophy to the Aussies. Huge team effort from the golfers Down Under.

See you next week, golf fans.

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Five at The IX: Snippets from 2024 Maybank Championship winner Ruoning Yin’s press conference on Tuesday, Oct. 28 ahead of her title defense

THE MODERATOR: Okay, very pleased to be joined by our defending champion here, it’s the Maybank Championship’s Ruoning Yin. Ruoni, when you think back to this event last year, what are some of the highlights you think fondly of?

RUONING YIN: I think last year my performance was pretty consistent. I shoot — I think my putting, I would say the putting-wise is the strongest part of my game last year at this tournament.

Q. And coming into this event as the defending champion, what are some of the goals or expectations and, maybe, what’s the strongest part of your game right now heading into this week?

RUONING YIN: I would say right now probably is my ball striking. I’m still working on my putting, try to hold more putts.

And this week I think the course is in great condition. Probably one of the best conditions we play all year. I think if it I can shoot 5-under every day, probably Sunday will be a good score.

Q. Just what is it about this course that maybe brings out some of the best in your game?

RUONING YIN: I would say this course, you have a lot of chance around, like, 100 yards to — 100 to 150, which I think, that’s my strength.

So I think just try to leave as many birdie chances as I can leave.

Q. How do you see, like, the chance to win this year? I think there also is pressure because you are the reigning champion. How do you see that?

RUONING YIN: I would love to defend my title, but there is a lot of great players this week. I think the LPGA players getting stronger and stronger. Only one multiple winner this year. So I would say there is a chance for me to defend my title, but there is a lot of great players as well.

I think I just plan to play my best out there.

Q. Few more tournaments left in the 2025 season. What’s maybe a couple goals you have as the season comes to a close?

RUONING YIN: I think my game is getting better every day, every week. So I would say there is still four tournaments for me. I mean, if I can get a win, that would be great. But I think at the end of the day, the most important thing is if I can learn something every day. If I can get maybe even 1% better every day. I think that’s more important for me than winning.