Thailand take International Crown team match play title
Breakthrough weekend for Thailand, which had never finished better than 4th in the event
San Francisco — Atthaya Thitikul birdied the 16th hole to cap a dominating week that carried Thailand to a victory over Australia on Sunday for the country’s first International Crown team match play title.
Thitikul beat Stephanie Kyriacou 4 and 2 to improve to 5-0 on the week and earn the clinching point in the final. Patty Tavatanakit had already beaten Hannah Green 4 and 3 in the other singles match.
Sisters Ariya and Moriya Jutanugarn won their match over Minjee Lee and Sarah Kemp 4 and 3 when Ariya Jutanugarn holed out a chip shot from the edge of the green on the 15th hole as sixth-seeded Thailand finished the week winning 11 of 12 matches.
The United States beat Sweden in the consolation match to finish third.
It was a breakthrough weekend for Thailand, which had never finished better than fourth in the first three editions of this tournament.
But the Thai team was dominant at Harding Park as the only country to win every match in pool play and then delivering a dominating championship match after surviving a tight semifinal against the United States earlier in the day.