Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, 29-03-2014
GALLANT TEAM ASIA FIGHT BACK ON FINAL DAY TO DRAW EURASIA CUP
WINS FOR BHULLAR, LAHIRI, SIDDIKUR CONTRIBUTE TO STUNNING ASIAN COMEBACK
Picture Courtesy: Asian Tour
A stunning fight back from Team Asia saw the inaugural EurAsia Cup presented by DRB-HICOM end in a 10-10 draw after a thrilling final day at the Glenmarie Golf and Country Club on Saturday.
Trailing 3-7 overnight going into the singles session – and having been 0-5 behind after the first day’s fourball session – not many gave Thongchai Jaidee’s team much realistic hope of turning matters around.
But they did just that, winning the session 7-3 to see the gleaming silver trophy shared at the end of the day with Miguel Angel Jiménez’s European troops.
Hailed as ‘The Ryder Cup of the East’ before the tournament started, the event certainly lived up to that lofty billing, producing drama of the kind normally reserved only for the biennial contest between Europe and the United States.
In the end, the fate of the EurAsia Cup – with the score tied at 9 ½ - 9 ½ - laid in the hands of Spain’s Gonzalo Fernandez-Castaño and Hideto Tanihara of Japan, whose ding-dong battle saw them all square playing the last hole in the last match on the course.
With both players on the 18th green in two, Fernandez-Castaño putted down to four feet while Tanihara’s effort stopped a foot and a half from the hole. Under intense pressure, the Spaniard held his nerve to roll his par effort into the back of the cup before sportingly conceding the Japanese player’s putt.
Earlier in the day, European captain Jimenez sealed the first match of the day against Malaysian home favourite Nicholas Fung when he nervelessly holed an eight foot birdie putt on the final green. He was one of only two outright winners for Europe on day three.
Asian captain Thongchai then got Asia its first point of the day with a 3 & 2 win over 2010 U.S. Open Champion Graeme McDowell in the second singles encounter.
With the captains’ points in the bag for their respective sides, the next hour on the golf course firmly belonged to the hosts as they threatened to repeat the ‘Miracle of Medinah’ where Europe came from four points down on the final day to clinch The 2012 Ryder Cup from the United States.
Respective wins for Kiradech Aphibarnrat, Kim Hyung-sung, Gaganjeet Bhullar and Anirban Lahiri over Thomas Björn, Pablo Larrazábal, Thorbjørn Olesen and Victor Dubuisson, allied to Prayad Marksaeng’s half point against Jamie Donaldson, saw the overall scores levelled at 8 ½ - 8 ½.
Bangladesh’s Siddikur Rahman then moved Asia ahead for the first time in the three days with a 4 & 3 win over Scotland’s Stephen Gallacher before Dutchman Joost Luiten held his nerve to hole a four footer for a winning par four against Koumei Oda of Japan to bring parity once again.
It left the outcome of the entire contest on the match between Fernandez-Castaño and Tanihara – the half point being a fitting conclusion.
India’s Anirban Lahiri, who contributed with a 2 & 1 win against France’s Victor Dubuisson, feels Asia deserves to be mentioned in the same breathe as the golfing powerhouses from Europe and United States.
“A lot of the people wrote us off after the first day. I was reading a lot in the media and on Twitter and Facebook and there was a lot of backlash. But I think all of us found that strength deep within us to come back and show that we are golfers as well.
“Everybody puts European golf up there and I think it's time Asian golf gets the credit we deserve,” said Lahiri, a three-time Asian Tour winner.
Gaganjeet Bhullar, who enjoyed a convincing 4 & 3 victory over Denmark’s Thorbjorn Olesen, shared similar sentiments with his fellow compatriot. “When we were walking off the 18th green today, we felt a great sense of achievement,” he said.
“Our results showed how far we have come. There was a time when we used to say we were from Asia and they asked if we have a tour. With this performance, people will know that the next superstars are coming from the Asian Tour.”
Despite the lack of match play experience, Bhullar, a five-time Asian Tour winner, was delighted that Team Asia rose to the occasion and proved their worth on the world stage.
“If you look at the PGA Tour and the European Tour, they get to play The Ryder Cup and The Presidents Cup. For us, this is the first time we all have an opportunity to actually showcase Asian golf,” said Bhullar.
“We’re proud of how we picked ourselves up the last 48 hours. I think it's a great moment for Asian golf because it's put us on the map and I know a lot of people will now take notice of 10 of us and the Asian Tour,” added Bhullar.
Asian captain Thongchai Jaidee lauded his team’s effort. “Every member of my team was a hero today,” he said. “Everyone played really well but the match itself was unbelievable. It was a great finish and to end the contest on the final holes in the final match, I’ve never seen anything like it. It was amazing.”
European captain Miguel Angel Jimenez agreed with Jaidee in appreciating both the team’s efforts. “It was tough for us today but it was an amazing day of golf and the Asian team played very well,” said Jimenez. “All the European players gave everything they had and I have respect for them all – it was a pleasure to be here with them this week. As I said at the closing ceremony, nobody lost – we both won. For this to be the first edition of the EurAsia Cup that was excellent and I wish all the best for the future.”
Final Day Singles Results (Team Europe first)
Miguel Angel JIMENEZ bt Nicholas FUNG 1 hole;
Graeme MCDOWELL lost to Thongchai Jaidee 3 & 2;
Thomas BJORN lost to Kiradech APHIBARNRAT 2 & 1;
Jamie DONALDSON & Prayad MARKSAENG halved;
Pablo LARRAZABAL lost to KIM Hyung-sung 4 & 2;
Victor DUBUISSON lost to Anirban LAHIRI 2 & 1;
Thorbjorn OLESEN lost to Gaganjeet Bhullar 4 & 3;
Joost LUITEN bt Koumei ODA 1-Hole;
Gonzalo FDEZ-CASTANO & Hideto TANIHARA halved;
Stephen GALLACHER lost to Siddikur RAHMAN 4 & 3.
Second Day Foursome Results (Team Europe first)
Miguel Angel JIMENEZ/Pablo LARRAZABAL & Thongchai JAIDEE/ Kiradech APHIBARNRAT halved;
Thomas Bjorn/Thorbjorn OLESEN lost to Prayad MARKSAENG/KIM Hyung-sung 4 & 3;
Gonzalo FDEZ-CASTANO/Stephen GALLACHER & Koumei ODA/Hideto TANIHARA halved;
Victor DUBUISSON/Joost LUITEN lost to Anirban LAHIRI/SIDDIKUR Rahman 1 hole;
Graeme MCDOWELL/Jamie DONALDSON bt Gaganjeet BHULLAR/Nicholas FUNG 2 & 1
First Day 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
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