Asia turns screw on Europe
Source: Agencies |
January 9, 2011, Sunday
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Print Edition
Print Edition
ASIA seized the upper hand in the Royal Trophy after thrashing Europe in fourballs yesterday to snatch a 6-2 lead and leave the holders with a mountain to climb on the final day.
Asia wrestled control of the competition in Thailand with some precision putting to earn wins in all four matches against some out-of-sorts European pairings who never found their feet and now face a monumental challenge in the singles.
Europe's player-captain Colin Montgomerie will need wins from six of his eight players in today's singles just to secure a playoff, while Asia can lift the trophy for a second time with two and a half points. The teams were tied 2-2 after day one.
China's Liang Wenchong and South Korea's Noh Seung-yul led the Asian charge with a confident 5&4 win that left Montgomerie and putting phenomenon Rhys Davies in the shade for most of the round at the Black Mountain course.
Birdies eluded the European pair after the sixth hole as the Asians forged ahead, opening up a four-stroke lead soon after the turn that Montgomerie and Davies stood no chance of undoing.
"The 11th hole was where it happened, we went four up and the pressure was off after that," Liang said. "I'm happy to be playing with Noh. He played well today."
The fifth and sixth holes proved to be the turning points for Asia, with three of the four pairings carving out leads of two strokes or more as cracks started to appear in the European effort on the greens.
In Kapalua, Hawaii, the Tournament of Champions lost another star player on Friday when Camilo Villegas was disqualified for a rules violation that a television viewer called in after the opening round.
Villegas was chipping up the slope to the 15th green when the ball twice rolled back toward him. The second time, Villegas walked over and casually swatted away some loose pieces of grass in front of the divot as the ball was still moving down the slope.
That is a violation of Rule 23-1 that says, "When a ball is in motion, a loose impediment that might influence the movement of the ball must not be removed."
The penalty is two shots. Villegas opened with a 72, and he was disqualified for signing an incorrect scorecard. Villegas was celebrating his 29th birthday on Friday.
Robert Garrigus took the lead thanks to one of the shortest clubs in his bag. Garrigus holed out a wedge for eagle on the 16th hole, then finished with two big drives to set up easy birdies for a 10-under 63 in the second round to take a one-shot lead.
He was at 14-under 132 and had a one-shot lead over Carl Pettersson, who birdied the last hole for a 67. Jonathan Byrd also made birdie on the finishing hole of the Plantation Course for a 68 and was another shot back.
Asia wrestled control of the competition in Thailand with some precision putting to earn wins in all four matches against some out-of-sorts European pairings who never found their feet and now face a monumental challenge in the singles.
Europe's player-captain Colin Montgomerie will need wins from six of his eight players in today's singles just to secure a playoff, while Asia can lift the trophy for a second time with two and a half points. The teams were tied 2-2 after day one.
China's Liang Wenchong and South Korea's Noh Seung-yul led the Asian charge with a confident 5&4 win that left Montgomerie and putting phenomenon Rhys Davies in the shade for most of the round at the Black Mountain course.
Birdies eluded the European pair after the sixth hole as the Asians forged ahead, opening up a four-stroke lead soon after the turn that Montgomerie and Davies stood no chance of undoing.
"The 11th hole was where it happened, we went four up and the pressure was off after that," Liang said. "I'm happy to be playing with Noh. He played well today."
The fifth and sixth holes proved to be the turning points for Asia, with three of the four pairings carving out leads of two strokes or more as cracks started to appear in the European effort on the greens.
In Kapalua, Hawaii, the Tournament of Champions lost another star player on Friday when Camilo Villegas was disqualified for a rules violation that a television viewer called in after the opening round.
Villegas was chipping up the slope to the 15th green when the ball twice rolled back toward him. The second time, Villegas walked over and casually swatted away some loose pieces of grass in front of the divot as the ball was still moving down the slope.
That is a violation of Rule 23-1 that says, "When a ball is in motion, a loose impediment that might influence the movement of the ball must not be removed."
The penalty is two shots. Villegas opened with a 72, and he was disqualified for signing an incorrect scorecard. Villegas was celebrating his 29th birthday on Friday.
Robert Garrigus took the lead thanks to one of the shortest clubs in his bag. Garrigus holed out a wedge for eagle on the 16th hole, then finished with two big drives to set up easy birdies for a 10-under 63 in the second round to take a one-shot lead.
He was at 14-under 132 and had a one-shot lead over Carl Pettersson, who birdied the last hole for a 67. Jonathan Byrd also made birdie on the finishing hole of the Plantation Course for a 68 and was another shot back.
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