AFP, Chicago :
Charley Hull finished eagle-birdie and Holly Clyburn closed with a match-winning birdie as England stunned the United States with two four-ball triumphs Thursday to open the LPGA International Crown.
The eight-nation team event saw seedings turned upside down at the Merit Club in suburban Chicago as the top four of South Korea, Japan, Australia and the US managed only one win among them.
“Well, I just love playing in this kind of environment, especially when you are a bit of an underdog,” Hull said. “I just like proving people wrong and it just makes you go out there, gives you a little bit more of a buzz.
“I enjoy playing against the Americans. Even on paper, we were obviously not as strong as the Americans.”
Pool B leader Taiwan joined Pool A pace-setter England with a 2-0 start by sweeping the Aussies while China split with favored South Korea in Pool A and Thailand had a win and a draw over Japan in Pool B.
The top two teams in each group after three days of four-ball matches plus a wildcard team advance to Sunday’s concluding singles matches with all points accumulated over four days deciding who captures the Crown.
Hull, a 20-year-old in her fourth year as a professional, eagled the par-5 16th to put England ahead and birdied the par-4 17th to complete a victory for the world number 27 and 123rd-ranked Melissa Reid by 2 and 1 over US Olympians Stacy Lewis and Gerina Piller, both in the world top 15.
Charley Hull finished eagle-birdie and Holly Clyburn closed with a match-winning birdie as England stunned the United States with two four-ball triumphs Thursday to open the LPGA International Crown.
The eight-nation team event saw seedings turned upside down at the Merit Club in suburban Chicago as the top four of South Korea, Japan, Australia and the US managed only one win among them.
“Well, I just love playing in this kind of environment, especially when you are a bit of an underdog,” Hull said. “I just like proving people wrong and it just makes you go out there, gives you a little bit more of a buzz.
“I enjoy playing against the Americans. Even on paper, we were obviously not as strong as the Americans.”
Pool B leader Taiwan joined Pool A pace-setter England with a 2-0 start by sweeping the Aussies while China split with favored South Korea in Pool A and Thailand had a win and a draw over Japan in Pool B.
The top two teams in each group after three days of four-ball matches plus a wildcard team advance to Sunday’s concluding singles matches with all points accumulated over four days deciding who captures the Crown.
Hull, a 20-year-old in her fourth year as a professional, eagled the par-5 16th to put England ahead and birdied the par-4 17th to complete a victory for the world number 27 and 123rd-ranked Melissa Reid by 2 and 1 over US Olympians Stacy Lewis and Gerina Piller, both in the world top 15.
