Even though Team USA was the highest seed entering the first-ever International Crown at Caves Valley Golf Club near Baltimore this week, they did not make the finals on Sunday.
The U.S. team was eliminated in a sudden death playoff with the No. 2 seed in the tournament the Republic of Korea.
The International Crown is a new event on the LPGA Tour featuring four-woman teams from eight countries. The eight teams were divided into two pools and played one four-ball match versus each team in their pool to qualify for the singles on Sunday.
Each match was worth two points for a win and one point for a tie. The two top teams from each pool plus a wild card team qualify for the singles on Sunday.
Along with the U.S. team, Taipei and Australia will sit out the finals. Japan was the top point earner and will join Spain, Thailand, Sweden and Korea for the Sunday singles.
Team USA failed to earn a single point on Thursday as Stacy Lewis paired with Lexi Thompson were soundly defeated by Yani Tseng and Phoebe Yao. Cristie Kerr and Paula Creamer lost to the other team from Chinese Taipei, Candie Kung and Teresa Lu.
The Americans came back on Friday winning both matches versus Spain and earned four points, but Thailand was able to win one match on Saturday and leave the U.S. with a six-point total and tied with Korea for the wild card.
In the playoff for the final spot, Korea sent out So Yeon Ryu and Inbee Park to battle the American duo of Thompson and Kerr. Both Ryu and Park made birdie on the par-5 No. 16. Kerr made her birdie, but Thompson failed to get up and down for birdie, after her second shot came up 2 feet short and rolled back some 10 yards off the green.
Coming into the International Crown the U.S. team had four women in the Top 12 of the Rolex Rankings and was the No. 1 seed.
The problem for the Americans, however, may have been the timing of the automatic picks for the team.
The teams were decided in March after the Kia Classic. Since then Michelle Wie has won two tournaments including the U.S. Women’s Open and moved ahead of both Kerr and Creamer in the Rolex Rankings.
Even though the top seed will not be in the finals on Sunday, the International Crown has provided plenty of great shot making and thrilling match play.
If this is a preview of what to expect at the Olympics in 2016, it will be worth the wait.
If they just have a golf course to play on.