The Republic of Korea has the home-turf advantage in the 2025 International Crown. Let’s take a look at the team they may be putting together:
THE CURRENT FOUR
The four players that would currently represent The Republic of Korea are:
- No. 7 Haeran Ryu
- No. 11 Amy Yang
- No. 12 Jin Young Ko
- No. 25 Jiyai Shin
South Korea would have an intriguing lineup, complete with a young superstar, and three experienced fantastic players.
Haeran Ryu hasn’t played in an international event like this for Korea yet, but she is an absolute superstar already with two wins and 19 top-10 finishes in the last two seasons. She won Rookie of the Year in 2023, and was one of the top players on tour in 2024.
Jin Young Ko is one of the modern legends of the LPGA Tour with 15 career wins and two majors under her belt. She didn’t win at all in 2024 though, which could be concerning to some. Amy Yang in general did not have a great 2024, but she did win her first major title. She missed seven cuts and only had two top-10 finishes, but that win at the KPMG Women’s PGA is helping her significantly. Yang has had a strong career, including six total LPGA Tour wins.
Jiyai Shin is easily the most interesting piece of this potential team, as she doesn’t play consistently on the LPGA Tour. Her last win was actually in 2013 if you can believe it. The 36-year-old actually has 11 wins in total on tour including two majors. She finished top five on the LPGA Tour twice in 2024, including at the AIG Women’s Open. She also defeated a solid field at the Australian Open.
POTENTIAL REPRESENTATIVES
Some other players who could represent The Republic of Korea are:
- No. 27 Hyo Joo Kim
- No. 28 Ina Yoon
- No. 32 Jin Hee Im
- No. 38 Sei Young Kim
The Republic of Korea has some of the most intriguing potential representatives of the whole crop, a group that could actually make the team potentially stronger than its current lineup.
Hyo Joo Kim had a weak season in 2024, there is no way around it. While she is traditionally one of the strongest and most consistent players on the tour, she had only three top-10 finishes and no wins last season. If she gets back to her usual form, she can easily make this team.
Jin Hee Im finished in second for Rookie of the Year behind Japan’s Mao Saigo, and it was well-earned in some tough competitions. The 26-year-old had six top-10 finishes, including two in majors at the AIG Women’s Open and the Chevron Championship. Sei Young Kim meanwhile had a nice season compared to other recent ones, notching five top-10 finishes and having a strong end to the season. The 2020 LPGA Player of the Year is extremely volatile as one of the most aggressive players on the tour.
That brings us finally to Ina Yoon, an intriguing KLPGA player. We do not yet know how her game translates on a global stage, but she has impressive results. She had 14 top-10 finishes on the KLPGA in 2024 including one win. She would perhaps be even higher in the world rankings, if not for an 18 month break that came as a result of a rules infraction. She initially was given a three-year ban from the tour for playing the wrong ball in a tournament, but that was reduced to 18 months. She is a name to keep an eye on in 2025.
CAN THEY WIN?
Maybe. Korea is depending heavily on the ability of Haeran Ryu. They could potentially send out a strong, but relatively inexperienced team at the International Crown. Team Korea would likely be improved if some other players step up and make their way onto the team.
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