Jack Nicklaus Golf Club Korea named as host of the 2018 UL International Crown

The announcement was made at the Merit Club in Gurnee, Ill., on the eve of the second staging of the UL International Crown. UL CEO and President Keith Williams, LPGA Commissioner Mike Whan, Jack Nicklaus Golf Club General Manager Joon-Hee Lee, Gale International Executive Vice President Tom Murcott and major champion and two-time Team Korea team member at the Crown So Yeon Ryu were on hand to make the announcement.

“After receiving an overwhelming amount of interest from prospective hosts, we are pleased to announce that we will be playing at the Jack Nicklaus Golf Club Korea in 2018,” said LPGA Commissioner Mike Whan. “We are looking forward to working with the JNGCK staff, who has extensive experience in hosting premier golf competitions, to put on a terrific event.”

The UL International Crown, which was first played in 2014, features the best female golfers from the top eight countries across the globe, based on the combined Rolex World Ranking of the top-four players representing their respective country. The first playing of the event was at Caves Valley Golf Club in Owings Mill, Md., where Team Spain triumphed as the inaugural champions.

Jack Nicklaus Golf Club Korea, which is located 40 miles west of Seoul in the Incheon Free Economic Zone, the country’s largest development zone, was developed by New York-based Gale International and POSCO E&C.

The facility opened in September 2010. In addition to staging The Presidents Cup the first time the prestigious event was played in Asia, the club has also hosted prominent international events including the Songdo Championship on the Champions Tour in 2010 and 2011 and the 2012 Korea Women’s Open on the LPGA of Korea (KLPGA).

The 2016 Asia-Pacific Amateur Championship, which is conducted in partnership between the Asia Pacific Golf Confederation (APGC), the Masters Tournament and The R&A, will be staged at JNGCK this October, with the winner receiving an automatic invitation to the 2017 Masters Tournament.

“In a very short period of time, the Jack Nicklaus Golf Club Korea has established a tremendous reputation for its ability to stage significant golf events at any level, and for both men and women,” said Jack Nicklaus, Co-Chairman of the Nicklaus Companies, Founder of Nicklaus Design, and the globally acclaimed designer of JNGC Korea. “From the year it opened in 2010 with a PGA TOUR Champions event to last year’s hugely successful Presidents Cup to the upcoming Asia Pacific Amateur Championship, the course, club and the Gale International ownership group have made a commitment to showcasing Korea and Songdo IBD by staging some of the most important events in the game of golf. With Korea’s global reputation for developing so many of the world’s finest female players, I think bringing an LPGA event to the Jack Nicklaus Golf Club will be yet another source of pride for the country and the club.”

JNGCK, highlighted by its par-72, 7,413-yard Jack Nicklaus Signature Golf Course, offers world-class amenities, including an award-winning, LEED Certified, 60,000-square-foot clubhouse. The course has retained all modifications and renovations from The Presidents Cup, and tournament officials have indicated they will use a similar setup for the 2018 Crown.

“In envisioning Jack Nicklaus Golf Club Korea we asked Jack Nicklaus to create a golf course worthy of hosting the world’s most prestigious golf competitions,” said Stan Gale, Chairman of JNGCK and Chairman and CEO of Gale International. “The UL International Crown reinforces our commitment to bring renowned international sporting events to Songdo IBD and the City of Incheon. We look forward to yet again welcoming the golf’s best competitors to Korea and are confident the Jack Nicklaus Golf Club Korea will provide a most memorable venue.”

2018 will mark the third time the LPGA will stage two events in one season in the Republic of Korea and first time since 2008. The Tour annually plays on the nearby Ocean Course at Sky 72 Golf Club, a Nicklaus Design course in Incheon, for the KEB-HanaBank Championship.

“We are thrilled to take the UL International Crown to Korea in 2018,” said UL CEO Keith Williams. “Not only is Korea a strategic market for us, it’s also home to some of the most enthusiastic golf fans in the world. We expect a lot excitement for the ULIC.”

Keywords: Golf,UL International Crown