[Photo: Getty Images]
Team Australia are positioned for a shock performance in the semi-finals after a clean-shooting Round 1 win over No. 2 seed Korea at the Hanwha LIFEPLUS International Crown in San Francisco.
Ranked 7th based on the world rankings of team members Minjee Lee (six), Hannah Green (14), Stephanie Kyriacou (118) and Sarah Kemp (161), the Aussies held their ground early and failed to fall behind in either four-ball game.
The pairing of Lee and Kyriacou held a three-hole lead against Hye-Jin Choi and In Gee Chun, with Kyriacou providing the perfect platform with an early birdie.
They were 3 to 11 holes before the Korean team mounted a stunning comeback.
Choi screwed 12 and 13 and then made par on 14, enough to win three holes in a row to put her team back evenly.
Lee responded with a birdie on the par-4 15, and the two teams traded pars over the next two holes.
With a guaranteed half point, Kyriacou then ripped a 3-wood from 209 yards for six feet on the par-5 18, her closeness to the hole effectively ending an impressive 2-up win.
“I didn’t watch the recording of In Gee or Hye-Jin because I didn’t want it to come to mind,” Kyriacou said.
“It was a pretty open shot I think. The pin was very easy to get so I just tried to knock the crap out of a 3 wood.”
The combination of LA Championship winner Hannah Green and patriotic veteran Sarah Kemp also proved strong against World No. 3 Jin Young Ko and World No. 9 Hyo Joo Kim.
Two birdies from Green and one from Kemp gave the Aussies a 2-up lead through four holes and from there they never went ahead.
Birdies from Ko on 12 and Kim on 14 reduced the deficit to just one hole, but Kemp’s clutch birdie on 14 and Green’s impressive half on 16 secured the Australians a 2&1 win.
“I’m not surprised that happened,” said Kemp, who is in her tournament debut.
“We had a great time last night. We had a great week. We’re all just having a good time and it doesn’t surprise me that we did what we did today.
“For my first day with my first international crown, it’s pretty awesome to start like that.”
Lee hinted that the pairings are unlikely to change on day two, saying two wins in Round 1 would set them up for a great shot at the title.
“Because all the teams in our pool are really strong, coming out on day one and having a really good day, that really sets the pace for the next few days,” said the reigning US Women’s Open champion.
“I think it was really an important win for us today.”
Australia’s next game is in Round 2 against Japan after the Japanese side lost both games against Thailand on day one.
Team Sweden defeated Team England in both Group A games, while Team USA and Team China each won one game in their clash.
It was also a strong start for Adam Scott at the Wells Fargo Championship.
Looking for his first PGA TOUR top-10 since last August’s BMW Championship, Scott opened with a four-under 67 on the par-4 11 despite a double bogey.
He made another bogey on the par-3 13, but birdies on 12, 14 and 15 brought him back to two but two on Round 1 leader Tommy Fleetwood (65).
2018 Quail Hollow champion Jason Day opened Thursday with a win over 72, with Cam Davis on 71 and a 58 share.
Four straight bogeys early in his round put Harrison Endycott on the backfoot and signed a three-over-74.
Maverick Antcliff is the highest-ranked Australian after Round 1 of the UAE Challenge on the Challenge Tour, while Terry Pilkadaris is the only Australian in the top 30 when Round 2 of the Maekyung Open begins in Korea.
Hanwha LIFEPLUS International Crown
Results round 1
Minjee Lee/Steph Kyriacou def. Hye-Jin Choi/In Gee Chun 2 and up
Hannah Green/Sarah Kemp def. Jin Young Ko and Hyo Joo Kim 2&1
