Asia on course to defend trophy
Print Edition
Asia require 3-1/2 points from today’s eight singles matches against Europe to defend the Royal Trophy after the teams split yesterday’s fourballs at the Dragon Lake Golf Club in Guangzhou, south China, to give the holder a 5-3 edge.
Leading 3-1 after Friday’s foursomes, Asia stretched its advantage to three points thanks to Thai pair Kiradech Aphibarnrat and Thongchai Jaidee’s 2&1 victory over Scots Paul Lawrie and Stephen Gallacher.
Europe, led by Ryder Cup-winning captain Jose Maria Olazabal, looked set for victory in the second match with Britons David Howell and Marc Warren 2-up on the 17th tee against Liang Wenchong and Wu Ashun only to crumble at the finish.
Chinese duo Liang and Wu went birdie-birdie over the closing holes to snatch what looked to be a crucial half with Howell and Warren only able to bogey the par-4 18th.
Austria’s Bernd Wiesberger and Dane Thorbjorn Olesen managed Europe’s only win of the day with a 2&1 victory over out-of-sorts Japanese pair Ryo Ishikawa and Hiroyuki Fujita to make the score 4 1/2-2 1/2 in Asia’s favor.
South Korean duo Kim Hyung-sung and KT Kim appeared on the verge of restoring Asia’s three-point cushion in the final match but they too let slip a 2-up lead with two to play against Spain’s Alvaro Quiros and Belgian Nicolas Colsaerts.
Quiros hit a brilliant approach from the trees to within four feet that set up a birdie on the last to grab the unlikely half and stay within two points of Asia.
Despite the two-point deficit, Olazabal is holding onto the hope of a final-day charge reminiscent of Europe’s Ryder Cup comeback at Medinah last year when it entered the singles trailing by four points but emerged triumphant.
The Spaniard said: “Getting a half in that last match has kept our hopes alive. If we have a solid start in the singles and put pressure on the Asian team then we can still turn it around.”
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