The best women golfers in the world will be teeing it up at the Centurion Club in Hertfordshire next year after it was announced that the Hemel Hempstead-based club will be hosting the UL International Crown in 2020.
The biennial matchplay event, which is run by the LPGA and managed by IMG, sees teams of four representing the top eight golfing nations in the world compete over four days of matches.
After three days of four-ball competition, the top five countries will advance to the Sunday singles matches. Points are awarded per match – two for a win, one for a tie and zero for a loss – and all points from the four-ball matches carry over to Sunday, when the total cumulative points for the four days will determine the overall champion. The UL International Crown has a prize fund of $1.6million.
The field of eight teams is determined by the combined Rolex Women’s World Rankings of the top four players from each nation four months before the event, which is being held from August 27-30. The final field of 32 players and the final country seedings will be confirmed via the rankings approximately one month later.
Last year, the Republic of Korea won the UL International Crown on home soil at Jack Nicklaus Golf Club in Incheon, with the USA and England finishing in a tie for second. The 2016 edition was also won by the host nation – the USA at the Merit Club in Illinois – and Spain were the inaugural champions in 2014 at Caves Valley Golf Club in Maryland.
Speaking on behalf of UL, a global safety science organisation, Kathy Seegebrecht said: “We are absolutely delighted to play the next edition of the UL International Crown at Centurion Club. We were very impressed with the quality of the golf course and facilities, as well as the enthusiasm of the club’s management and members. The selection endorses our strategy of playing the event at world class international venues, and we look forward to taking the tournament to the next stage of its evolution and development.”
Scott Evans, managing director of Centurion Club, said: “We are delighted to have been selected to host this important international tournament and be able to continue to build our credentials. As a club, we are still relatively young, but we offer a high-end facility that will be in world-class condition next year. Hosting our first LPGA event is a landmark moment for us on our journey.”