Team play fosters friendships

Eight countries chase bragging rights at International Crown

GURNEE, ILL. Melissa Reid and Jodi Ewart Shadoff have been close friends since they were 12.

In pursuing professional golf, they accepted a career of competing against each other. But this week, for one of the few times in their careers, they’ll embrace each other as teammates.

“We have had so many experiences together over the last 15 years or so, it’s very easy to be a team,” Shadoff said.

The UL International Crown is a relatively new addition to the LPGA tour schedule. Introduced in 2014, the biennial contest features 32 players across eight teams, competing in best- ball and singles match play.

“It’s good fun,” said Charley Hull, who joins Reid and Shadoff representing Team England this week. “Our mind- set is pretty similar, so it’s easy to bond.”

Spain topped Sweden in the inaugural event, but because of a harsh qualifying system, both will be absent this time. The contest this year features the USA, Australia, England and five teams from Asia ( South Korea, Taiwan, China, Japan and Thailand).

Despite the tournament’s novelty, players speak of the event as being a fun change of pace. For many in the field this week it’s a good opportunity to rekindle the fire that was stoked during last year’s Solheim Cup.

“We mesh well as a team,” U. S. team member Cristie Kerr says. “We’re going to ride that high from Solheim ( which the USA won in 2015) right on to this event.”

For others, such as Su Oh of Australia, the chance to be on a team is a dream come true.

Oh will play alongside one of her idols, fellow Australian Karrie Webb. Oh was 4 when Webb won the U. S. Women’s Open at the Merit Club, the host of this week’s event.

“I’ve always wanted to play in a team with Karrie,” Oh said. “She’s a really amazing role model. I think she’s amazing.”

Oh added that she was eager to soak in whatever wisdom she can from Webb, though judging from the recent banter during their practice round together, Webb, 41, is skeptical of that claim.

“I don’t know if I’m sharing wisdom,” Webb said with a smile, “or if they’re giving me a hard time about being old.”

All part of being on a team.

KELVIN KUO, USA TODAY SPORTS “Our mind- set is pretty similar, so it’s easy to bond,” says Charley Hull, who is representing Team England at the UL International Crown.