EURASIA Cup: Europe seal commanding victory

January 17, 2016: Anytime a player makes five or six birdies in a match play situation, he is going to be difficult to deal with, said Lee Westwood during his interaction with the media on Saturday. True to his word, the Englishman fired early making a half a dozen birdies over the first nine holes of his match to set up a 7&6 win against Nicholas Fung to lead the charge for Europe in the second edition of the biennial Eurasia Cup. After a third straight day of domination, Europe annihilated Asia 13-3 (score with eight matches still in play) to emerge victorious at the Glenmarie Golf and Country Club in Shah Alam, Malaysia.

The first match on the card was between Ian Poulter and Danny Chia. The Malaysian was defiant on Saturday after halving a point playing alongside compatriot Fung, teasing the media with a satirical “Ian Who” quip when asked about the challenge of dealing with one of the most experienced match play golfers from Europe.

But the skill and experience of Poulter proved too much for the 43 year old local star. The European was one up through ten holes, after Chia mounted a fightback with birdies at 8 & 10. But Poulter turned on the screws quickly with back to back birdies at the 11th and 12th holes. Poulter snatched the first point of the day when he made a brilliant birdie at the 15th hole to take it 4&3.

At the turn, the match between Andy Sullivan and Thongchai Jaidee was tightly poised with only one hole separating the two men. But the European took charge with back to back birdies at the 10th and 11th before consolidating his position by taking the 14th hole for a four hole lead. The point was in the bag for Europe, 4&3 soon as the duo made par at the next hole.

Danny Willett was down by two through seven holes, but a quick conversation with his captain Darren Clarke seemed to have got his juices flowing. He raced ahead making four birdies over the next five holes, before consolidating his grasp of the contest with another birdie at the par-4 15th. Byeong showed he possessed the spirit by winning the 16th hole, but Willett responded in kind on the next to take it 3&1, delivering the winning point for Europe.

For Asia, there were just two bright stars and a lion hearted soldier. Kiradech Aphibarnrat should have worn an army fatigue today. Playing with an injured shoulder, that needed attention at the sixth hole, he fought on gallantly against 21 year old Matthew Fitzpatrick. The young European has played with great calm this week, but Kiradech took the 14th hole to reduce the deficit to just one, with four to play. A narrowly missed putt at the 17th could have squared the match, before he eventually lost by two holes at the 18th.

Anirban Lahiri and KT Kim were holding the flag up for Asia, as the only two men to have consistently lead through the final day. The Indian was comfortably placed at 3Up through nine holes, but was confronted with a transformed opponent soon as they made the turn.
Shane Lowry made an eagle at the par-5 11th hole before sinking the birdie putt on 12 to reduce the gap to just one. Anirban responded with a birdie at the 15th to regain a two hole advantage. Lahiri took the point home, 2&1.

Kim went up initially but was trailing by one by the fifth hole. The Korean responded with back to back birdies though to go back in front and a birdie at the 13th helped him go 2Up over German Bernd Wiesberger. He won the point 3&2 with the help of another birdie at the15th after both men made par at the 16th hole.