Jimenez leads Europe in shut out of Team Asia

Friday’s Foursome Draw (Team Europe first):
9:40am: Miguel Angel JIMENEZ/Pablo LARRAZABAL vs Thongchai JAIDEE/ Kiradech APHIBARNRAT
9.55am: Thomas Bjorn/Thorbjorn OLESEN vs Prayad MARKSAENG/KIM Hyung-sung
10.10am: Victor DUBUISSON/Joost LUITEN vs  Koumei ODA/Hideto Tanihara
10.25am: Gonzalo FDEZ-CASTANO/Stephen GALLACHER vs SIDDIKUR Rahman/Anirban LAHIRI
10.40am: Graeme MCDOWELL/Jamie DONALDSON vs Gaganjeet BHULLAR/Nicholas FUNG

 

 

Thursday

Team Europe produced a dominant performance in the opening fourball session by winning all five matches against a shell-shocked Team Asia in the inaugural EurAsia Cup presented by DRB-HICOM.

 

European captain Miguel Angel Jiménez of Spain brilliantly led the way at the Glenmarie Golf & Country Club, partnering compatriot Pablo Larrazábal to a 2 & 1 victory over Team Asia captain Thongchai Jaidee and Kiradech Aphibarnrat of Thailand in the top match.

 

Frenchman Victor Dubuisson and Dutchman Joost Luiten combined effectively for a 3 & 2 triumph over Prayad Marksaeng of Thailand and Bangladeshi Siddikur Rahman in a match they never trailed before Gonzalo Fernandez-Castaño of Spain, who eagled his first hole from the fairway, and Stephen Gallacher of Scotland completed a 4 & 3 victory over Anirban Lahiri and Gaganjeet Bhullar of India.

 

Koumei Oda and Hideto Tanihara of Japan took their match till the 18^th hole before losing by 2-holes to Thomas Bjorn and Thorbjorn Olesen, both from Denmark.

Local Malaysian star Nicholas Fung raised hopes of an upset with three birdies in seven holes as he and partner Kim Hyung-sung of Korea raced to a 3-up lead over Graeme McDowell of Northern Ireland and Jamie Donaldson of Wales but the Europeans showed their class by fighting back to a 3 & 1 victory to complete a day to forget for Thongchai’s men.

 

Jiménez, who sank two eagles and three birdies in the better ball format, was delighted to see his team race ahead in the inaugural contest. “Yeah, can't get anything better than that really.  I started with my match with Pablo and played good today and I don’t think there is a better way to lead a team,” said Jiménez.

 

Fernandez-Castaño nailed a magical eagle from the fairway on the first hole as he and Gallacher brushed aside the Indian pairing of Lahiri and Bhullar.

 

McDowell, who secured the winning point in Europe’s victory in The 2010 Ryder Cup, tipped his cap to partner Donaldson, who carried the last pairing home after falling 3-down early on. “We somehow managed to make the turn at 1-down which was huge and then this guy (Donaldson) just played phenomenal on the back nine, and I just had to just chill out and hang with him a little bit.  It was great to watch,” said McDowell.

 

 

Thursday’s Fourball Results (Team Europe first):

Miguel Angel JIMENEZ/Pablo LARRAZABAL bt Thongchai JAIDEE/ Kiradech APHIBARNRAT  2 & 1; Thomas Bjorn/Thorbjorn OLESEN bt Koumei ODA/Hideto Tanihara 2 Holes; Victor DUBUISSON/Joost LUITEN bt Prayad MARKSAENG/SIDDIKUR Rahman 3 & 2; Gonzalo FDEZ-CASTANO/Stephen GALLACHER bt Gaganjeet BHULLAR/Anirban LAHIRI 4 & 3; Graeme MCDOWELL/Jamie DONALDSON bt KIM Hyung-sung/Nicholas FUNG 3 & 1
 


Bryan

10.40am: Graeme MCDOWELL/Jamie DONALDSON vs Gaganjeet BHULLAR/Nicholas FUNG