The venue will host the international team match-play competition in August next year
LONDON, England, April 6, 2019: UL and the Ladies Professional Golf Association (LPGA) today announced that the fourth edition of the biennial UL International Crown will take place in England from August 27-30, 2020.
The UL International Crown, a unique team match-play competition that showcases the best female golfers from the top eight countries across the globe, will be played at the impressive Centurion Club located to the north of London. The club has previously hosted the acclaimed GolfSixes tournament on the European Tour that features men and women playing together.
Last year, the Republic of Korea won the UL International Crown on home soil at Jack Nicklaus Golf Club in Incheon, with the USA and England finishing in a tie for second place. The 2016 edition was also won by the host nation – the USA at the Merit Club in Illinois – and Spain were the inaugural champions in 2014 at Caves Valley Golf Club in Maryland.
Speaking on behalf of UL, a global safety science organization, CMO Kathy Seegebrecht said: "We are absolutely delighted to play the next edition of the UL International Crown at Centurion Club. We were very impressed with the quality of the golf course and facilities, as well as the enthusiasm of the club leadership and members. The selection endorses our strategy of playing the event at world-class international venues and we look forward to taking the tournament to the next stage of its evolution and development."
UL and the LPGA also announced that IMG, the global sports, media and events organisation, will deliver the event in 2020. IMG operates in more than 30 countries with unrivalled experience in event delivery. IMG’s golf team has staged more than 750 golf events and its current portfolio includes more than 30 tournaments staged annually around the globe, including two women’s major championships and the 2019 Solheim Cup.
LPGA Commissioner Mike Whan said: "IMG is a very important partner to the LPGA and will do a fantastic job delivering the UL International Crown. They were the obvious choice for us and UL to ensure we build on what has been achieved to date. Centurion Club is a great facility and ideally suited to the format of the tournament. The UL International Crown is one of the best global showcases in golf – period. I'm excited that we have the partners and golf venue that can take it to the next level."
Scott Evans, Managing Director of Centurion Club, said: "It was a very easy decision for us to partner with UL, the LPGA and IMG. We are delighted to have been selected to host this important international tournament and be able to continue to build our credentials. As a club we are relatively young, but we offer a high-end facility that will be in world-class condition next year. Hosting our first LPGA event is a landmark moment for us on our journey."
Ross Hallett, Senior Vice President, Golf Events, IMG, said: "We are delighted to have been chosen to deliver the UL International Crown at Centurion Club next year. The venue has proven it is a quality, spectator-friendly course that is well-able to host high-profile golf tournaments, so it promises to be a superb event. IMG works very closely with the LPGA throughout the season, so we are looking forward to adding another event to that relationship and working with the team from UL who have created something very special since the tournament’s inception."
The field of eight teams is determined by the combined Rolex Women’s World Golf Rankings of the top four players from each nation four months before the event. The final field of 32 players and the final country seedings will be confirmed via the Rolex Rankings approximately one month later.
After three days of four-ball competition, the top five countries will advance to the Sunday singles matches. Points are awarded per match – two for a win, one for a tie and zero for a loss – and all points from the four-ball matches carry over to Sunday, when the total cumulative points for the four days will determine the overall champion. The UL International Crown has a prize fund of US$1.6million.
A seeding system is in place for the eight countries, dividing them into two pools based on the cumulative team score of the four players’ Rolex Rankings at the point of their selection.
The two teams from each pool with the most points advance to the Sunday singles matches, along with a wildcard determined by a sudden-death playoff between two players from each country finishing third in their respective pool.
Follow The Crown news @ULIntlCrown.
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