Lydia Ko Confesses Awkward Truth About Joining Forces With Rivals for LPGA Team Event

Lydia Ko isn’t one to shy away from honesty, and this week, she has plenty to say. As she returns to the Hanwha Lifeplus International Crown for the first time, the 20-time LPGA winner steps into unfamiliar territory. The event, which brings eight national teams together in a rare team format, is unlike anything else in golf. Ko recently admitted that there’s an awkward truth about competing alongside fellow LPGA pros..

During a press conference before the event, the HSBC Women’s World Championship winner said, “There’s not a lot of things that are very new to me, but ever since they announced that there would be a world team, I really wanted to be a part of it. I feel like we have a great team, the four of us. We might lack a bit of chemistry because we don’t get to practice together or play in these kinds of team formats together, just from being from four different countries, but the three girls, I’d like to think we’re all coming in with a lot of good momentum, and I think, regardless, we’re going to have a great time.”

Ko is part of the World Team at the International Crown. LPGA has announced a World Team for the first time in the history of the biennial event. The four members of the team represent continents whose countries didn’t field full teams. Ko announced the same with an Instagram post captioned, “Loved the R&R… now off to 🇰🇷 to represent team World @internationalcrown ✌️” As the Oceania representative for New Zealand, Ko joins Charley Hull (England), Brooke Henderson (Canada), and Wei-Ling Hsu (Taiwan). Besides her, she has Henderson on her team, who will make a debut appearance at the International Crown.

Wei-Ling Hsu will make her second appearance, while Charley Hull returns for her third. But unlike national teams such as the USA, Japan, or Thailand, the four members of the new World Team come from completely different countries. That means they rarely play, let alone practice, together.

Most other squads share built-in chemistry. Players like Nelly Korda and Lilia Vu for the U.S., or Hinako Shibuno and Nasa Hataoka for Japan, grew up competing in the same junior circuits and national programs. They’ve built relationships over years of shared experiences. The World Team doesn’t have that advantage.

Even so, Lydia Ko is eager for the challenge. “I’m excited to get the week going,” she said at the press conference. Fellow debutant Brooke Henderson echoed that feeling. “I’m really proud and happy to be a part of the International Crown. I’ve been looking forward to it all year. It’s been super exciting to have on my schedule, since there has never been a World Team before. To have this opportunity, I’m pretty pumped about it,” she said.

The Hanwha Lifeplus International Crown runs from October 23 to 26 at the New Korea Country Club in Goyang-si. Alongside the World Team, seven other teams will compete: the USA, Japan, the Republic of Korea, Australia, Thailand, Sweden, and China. Beyond Ko, Hull, and Henderson, the field also includes several top LPGA names, including World No. 1 Jeeno Thitikul, representing Thailand.

Despite the lack of chemistry, Lydia Ko will be looking to win the tournament on the back of her current form.

Lydia Ko will look to win at the International Crown

Lydia Ko has had an impressive 2025 season. She’s made the cut in 12 of her 14 starts, recorded four top-10 finishes, and won the HSBC Women’s World Championship. The Hanwha Lifeplus International Crown marks her return to LPGA action after a month-long break. Her last start came at the Kroger Queen City Championship, where she finished T14 at 13-under. Now, she’s aiming to mark her event debut and her return to competition with another win. With the teammates performing well too, anything could happen.

Her teammates, Brooke Henderson and Charley Hull, are in exceptional form. Henderson is currently ranked 25th on the Rolex Women’s World Golf Rankings, while Hull is at number 5. There were some ups and downs hunting Henderson’s confidence in the middle of the year, but her recent victory at the CPKC Women’s Open has been a statement enough. Even Charley Hull is not winless in 2025. She made it to the top at the 2025 Kroger Queen City Championship.

If the World Team can build chemistry quickly, it has every reason to believe it can contend for the crown in Goyang-si.