Li fights back to give hosts the EurAsia lead

CHINA’S Li Haotong held his nerve to birdie his final hole and give Asia a slender lead over Europe on the first day of the 2018 EurAsia Cup in Kuala Lumpur yesterday.

Paired with Malaysian Nicholas Fung, the 22- yearold Li won the hole to halve the day’s final fourball match against Spaniard Rafa Cabrera-Bello and Austrian Bernd Wiesberger as Asia opened up a 3 ½-2½ lead.

In the last edition of the event, a Darren Clarke-captained European team romped to an 18½-5½ blowout win in 2016.

However, Thomas Bjorn’s side were far less convincing this time around, with Europe finding themselves down in four matches and all-square in the other two as Asia dominated the early stages of the first day at the Glenmarie Club.

Europe did manage to fight back as the rounds progressed with the English pairing of Tommy Fleetwood and Paul Casey putting the team on the board with a 4&3 victory over Korean An Byeong- un and Thai Kiradech Aphibarnrat in the first match.

“It feels great. I love matchplay, especially when you have a partner like Tommy Fleetwood,” said Casey, who was one of Bjorn’s two wildcard selections. “I’m ecstatic to get this going and get a point because it’s going to be a tough week.”

Asia rallied to take the lead with Yuta Ikeda and Gavin Green beating Thomas Pieters and Matthew Fitzpatrick 2&1, before Poom Saksansin and Kang Sung-hoon defeated Henrik Stenson and Alex Levy 5&4.

Another English pairing, Ross Fisher and Tyrrell Hatton, then tied the scores with a 5 and 4 win over Indian duo of Anirban Lahiri and S.S.P Chawrasia.

However, Hideto Tanihara and the 18-year-old Phachara Khongwatmai put Asia back in front with a 2-up victory over Alex Noren and Paul Dunne, leaving it to Cabrera-Bello and Wiesberger to ensure the champions headed into the weekend on level terms. – Reuters