BANGKOK: Player-captain Colin Montgomerie led from the front as Europe fought back against holders Asia in the Royal Trophy with three morale-boosting wins yesterday.
Europe, trailing 2 1/2 -1 1/2 after the opening foursomes, go into the final day singles leading 4 1/2 – 3 1/2 and needing four points to regain the silverware at Amata Spring Country Club. “It was very important to win three matches – it was a great day,” said Montgomerie. “We go into the singles a point ahead which gives us a great advantage. But the job is only half done – there are eight points still to play for. It will be a big day.”
Asian captain Naomichi ‘Joe’ Ozaki, who led the team to a stunning 10-6 victory last year, remained upbeat despite yesterday’s reversals.
“Everyone on the team wants to win tomorrow (today). We are here to defend our title – hopefully we can get some early momentum in the singles.”
The 46-year-old Montgomerie, wounded by an opening loss to Japanese young gun Ryo Ishikawa, teamed up with Simon Dyson to beat the Indian pair of Jeev Milkha Singh and Gaganjeet Bhullar by 4 and 3 in their fourball encounter.
There was a bit of needling in the match with Montgomerie, showing the intensity he will require when he captains Europe in the Ryder Cup in October, questioning why Bhullar was putting when out of the hole.
England’s Dyson, currently lying fourth on the European Tour’s Ryder Cup rankings, took the opportunity to impress the captain with a couple of chip-ins from off the green.
“We enjoyed it and Simon played especially well throughout the day,” said Montgomerie, one of the greatest Ryder Cup players of all time with eight appearances in the biennial clash against the United States.
“We kept both balls in play, and that was key. We hardly missed a fairway between us, and that’s why we came out victorious.”
The red-hot combination of Robert Karlsson and Alexander Noren, the only European winners in the opening day foursomes, kept the momentum going with a thumping 6 and 4 victory over Ishikawa and Koumei Oda. — AFP
World number 30 Ishikawa and Oda took the scalps of Montgomerie and Pablo Martin in the foursomes but failed to shine against the Swedes who were a staggering 10-under-par after 14 holes. “Someone said our combined score was 10-under but I did not know it was that low,” said Karlsson, Europe’s number one in 2008.
“After winning our first match we felt it was important to get off to a good start again and not give them anything.” — AFP