As-Pac nips Europe, clinches Hankins Trophy

TEAM Asia-Pacific fought back and pulled off a 6.5-5.5 victory over Team Europe in the deciding singles to capture the inaugural Patsy Hankins Trophy, 17-15, at Vidago Palace Golf Course in Portugal on Friday.

Trailing in five of the first six singles duels, the As-Pac girls rebounded strong in the last six matches, winning four while forcing two all-square matches to clinch the victory.

Thai Paphangkorn Tavatanakit sparked As-Pac’s late charge with a 1-up win over Scot Emma Spitz then Aussies Julianne Alvarez and Wenyung Keh followed up with 5&4 and 3&2 romps over Swiss Gioia Carpinelli and Italy’s Lucrezia Rosso, respectively. Japanese Nasa Hataoka secured the title with a 3&2 victory over Spain’s Luna Galmes.

Europe’s Frida Kinhult of Sweden edged Korean Choi Hye-jin, 1-up, and England’s Meghan Maclaren downed Park Hyunkyung, also of Korea, 3&1, to wrest the lead, 11.5-10-5, after trailing by one after the two-day fourballs and foursomes events.

But Japanese Hina Aragaki nipped Swiss Albane Valenzuela, 2-up, to even things up before Filipino Princess Superal of The Country Club recovered from two holes down to save an all-square match with Spain’s Maria Luque.

Chloe Williams of Wales and German Laura Funfsuck regained the lead for Europe with a 1-up and 6&5 victories over Chinese Qi Tian and Taiwanese Yu Han-Hsuan, respectively, but Tavatanakit, Alvarez and Keh swept the next three to give As-Pac back the lead before Hataoka clinched it after Tiffany Chan of Hong Kong and Aussie Hannah Green halved their matches against Puk Thomsen of England and Italy’s Bianca Fabrizio.

Superal and Yu also salvaged a key fourballs match with Williams and Kinhult to preserve As-Pac’s 10.5-9.5 lead heading to the singles.