Bjorn is kept up by the cup
THOMAS BJORN will captain odds-on favourites Europe in this week’s EurAsia Cup – but admits the prospect of performing the same role at the Ryder Cup is already giving him sleepless nights.
The inaugural EurAsia Cup finished as a 10-10 tie in 2014, with a Europe side captained by Darren Clarke cruising to a 13-point victory over Team Asia two years ago.
That did not translate into Ryder Cup success at Hazeltine, however, with Europe suffering their first defeat since 2008 and Bjorn’s first loss in six contests as player and vice-captain.
That means the 46-year-old Dane is giving everything to ensure Europe regain the trophy from the USA at Le Golf National in Paris in September.
“In terms of how all-consuming the captaincy is, I really feel it’s on my mind 24/7,” said Bjorn. “I even wake up in the middle of the night thinking about it.
“When I walk around and see Tyrrell Hatton and Sergio Garcia, my mind is on them, how they’re playing and how I can utilise them.
“I thought I might play a few tournaments in December, but when I came off the 18th green at the Nedbank Golf Challenge I changed my mind because I have so many thoughts about the team.
“I used all of December to get these thoughts down on paper and get my head straight about how I want this team to take shape. It really is on my mind all of the time, and no matter what little thing I’m thinking about, it has a Ryder Cup perspective.”
The EurAsia Cup format sees six fourball matches contested today, six foursomes tomorrow and 12 singles matches on Sunday at Glenmarie Golf and Country Club in Kuala Lumpur. European No 1 Tommy Fleetwood and Paul Casey take on Ben An and Kiradech Aphibarnrat in the opener, followed by Thomas Pieters and Matt Fitzpatrick against Yuta Ikeda and Gavin Green.
Sweden’s Alex Noren and Ireland’s Paul Dunne then play Hideto Tanihara and Phachara Khongwatmai, with Henrik Stenson and Alexander Levy against Sunghoon Kang and Poom Saksansin, while Bernd Wiesberger and Rafa Cabrera Bello face Nicholas Fung and Li Haotong. The final match pits Ross Fisher and Hatton against Anirban Lahiri and SSP Chawrasia of India.
DEFENDING champion Graeme Storm struggled to an opening 75 to lie 10 shots off the lead after the first round of the South African Open.
Fellow Englishman Chris Paisley fared better with seven birdies and a bogey in his round of 66, just one shot more than joint leaders Chase Koepka and home favourite Branden Grace.
South African Major winners Ernie Els (71), Retief Goosen (69) and Charl Schwartzel (69) all had solid starts, but Trevor Immelman carded five bogeys and a double-bogey in a disastrous 79.