Kuala Lumpur: Europe taught Asia several lessons with a 5-0 win on the opening day of the inaugural EurAsia Cup yesterday.
Led by Miguel Angel Jimenez, the Europeans won all five four-ball matches at Glenmarie Golf and Country Club.
Jimenez set the tone for his team when he and his Spanish compatriot Pablo Larrazabal beat Asia captain Thongchai Jaidee and fellow Thai Kiradech Aphibarnrat 2 and 1 in the opening match.
“You cannot get anything better than that really. There’s not a better way to lead a team,” said Jimenez, who made two eagles and three birdies.
Although it will be foursomes today, Jimenez said he would not change his pairings.
“I think you don’t need to change anything that is working well,” the Spanish veteran said.
Thongchai admitted Europe were too good and more experienced and played brilliant golf.
“They putted so well and did not miss anything. It’s amazing,” he said.
With two more days to go, Thongchai said that his team needed to work harder to quickly get some points back in today’s foursomes and that he would make some changes to his pairings.
“Foursomes is more difficult than four-ball because you cannot play your own game,” he said.
“It is not easy but we will try harder tomorrow. In golf, you never know. Anything can happen. I hope to get confidence back by getting some points.”
In yesterday’s other matches, Danish pairing Thomas Bjorn and Thorbjorn Olesen beat Japan’s Koumei Oda
and Hideto Tanihara 2 up; France’s
Victor Dubuisson and Joost Luiten of the Netherlands defeated Thai Prayad Marksaeng and Bangladesh’s Siddikur Rahman 3 and 2.
Also, Spain’s Gonzalo Fernandez-Castano and Stephen Gallacher of Scotland enjoyed the biggest win of the day, defeating India’s Gaganjeet Bhullar and Anirban Lahiri 4 and 3, while Northern Ireland’s Graeme McDowell and Jamie Donaldson of Wales beat Malaysia’s Nicholas Fung and South Korean Kim Hyung-Sung 3 and 1.
World No.14 McDowell and Donaldson came back from 3 down to beat Fung and Kim, and Donaldson said that his team was in a strong position to win the inaugural event.
“We had a good day. A 5-0 lead was a fantastic start,” he said.
Lahiri admitted his team did not play well. “The meeting in the team room was quite somber. We obviously need to bring out our A game tomorrow,” he said.
