Former Korean golfer Pak Se-ri poses for a photo during a press conference for a variety show at KBS Hall in Yeouido, western Seoul, on June 10. [YONHAP]

Former Korean golfer Pak Se-ri poses for a photo during a press conference for a variety show at KBS Hall in Yeouido, western Seoul, on June 10. [YONHAP]

Korean golf legend Pak Se-ri has been named an honorary ambassador for an LPGA match-play tournament set to take place in her native country this fall.
 
Pak has been tasked with promoting the International Crown, scheduled for Oct. 23 to 26 at New Korea Country Club in Goyang, Gyeonggi, on social media, the event’s organizers said Wednesday.
 
Pak will also take part in functions before, during and after the tournament, including the gala dinner, opening ceremony and awards ceremony, the organizers added.
 
“It’s a huge honor to be named an official ambassador for the International Crown,” Pak said. “Throughout my playing career, I always tried to represent my country well. And this competition resonates with me on a different level than other events. I hope people will come see what makes women’s golf so great.”
 
Pak, 47, has won 25 LPGA titles, including five majors, during her trailblazing career. She was inducted into the World Golf Hall of Fame in 2007. During retirement, Pak served as head coach of the Korean women’s golf team at the 2016 and the 2021 Summer Olympics.
 
Pak is credited with inspiring a whole generation of Korean golfers to pick up the sport in the late 1990s. She burst onto the scene by winning two majors as an LPGA rookie in 1998 and won eight tournaments total in her first two seasons on the U.S. tour.
 
Former Korean golfer Pak Se-ri poses with the trophy for the International Crown after being named an ambassador for the LPGA match-play event on Sept. 3, in this photo provided by the LPGA. [LPGA]

Former Korean golfer Pak Se-ri poses with the trophy for the International Crown after being named an ambassador for the LPGA match-play event on Sept. 3, in this photo provided by the LPGA. [LPGA]

The International Crown will feature seven countries — Korea, the United States, Japan, Thailand, Sweden, Australia and China — and the brand-new Team World, made up of one player each from the Americas, Europe, Asia and Africa and Oceania.
 
The four Korean representatives will be Kim Hyo-joo, Ryu Hae-ran, Ko Jin-young and Choi Hye-jin.
 
The United States team of Nelly Korda, Angel Yin, Lauren Coughlin and Lilia Vu earned the top seed.
 
The tams seeded 1, 4, 5 and 8 will be in Pool A, and seeds 2, 3, 6 and 7 will compete in Pool B. After fourball matches from Oct. 23 to 25, the top two teams from each pool will move on to the semifinals scheduled for the morning of Oct. 26, with the two pool winners each playing the runners-up from the opposing pool in two singles matches and one foursome match. The final is set for the afternoon of the same day, taking the same format as the semifinals.
 
The four editions of the International Crown so far have produced four different champions — Spain in 2014, the United States in 2016, Korea as the host nation in 2018 and Thailand in 2023. The 2020 event was wiped out due to the Covid-19 pandemic.
 

Yonhap