Darren Clarke admitted he felt sorry for his Asian Team rival captain Jeev Milkh Singh after a European Team continued to extol their match-play superiority claiming an emphatic 13-point victory in the EurAsia Cup in Kuala Lumpur.
Europe won 10 of the deciding dozen Singles matches for an 18 ½ to 5 ½ points triumph on the Glenmarie Golf and Country club course.
Clarke’s men were never headed leading by three points after Friday’s opening Four-Balls and extending their lead to six following Saturday’s Foursomes.
The victory now sees Europe having won five of the eight now defunct Royal Trophy events along with dominate their USA rivals in capturing eight of the past 10 Ryder Cup’s.
The winning 2016 EurAsia Cup winning side. (Photo – www.golfbytourmiss.com)
The Asian Team, who had forced a dramatic 10-all draw in the inaugural event in 2014, had no answer to their Europe-born rivals and winning just two of the Singles and halving another.
England’s Danny Willett claimed the team victory point defeating last year’s European Tour ‘Rookie of the Year’ Byeong Hun An 3 & 1 just after noon local time to give Europe an unassailable 13 to 3 advantage.
The competition ended two hours later with Clarke being handed the gleaming trophy as rival Asian Captain Jeev Milka Singh looked on.
“I feel really sorry for Jeev and his team as they just came up a red hot, a very hot European team this week,” said Clarke.
“So if you take a look at the guys here around me now the quality and the talent as these are some of the best players in the world, never mind Europe.”
“Guys want to play to represent Europe. Guys are proud to represent Europe and that’s why we are Europeans and that’s what why they are all here because we want to win.”
All Clarke’s winning men in a row. (Photo – www.golfbytourmiss.com)
Clarke will now head to this week’s Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship where he will no doubt catch-up with reigning European Tour No. 1 Rory McIlroy, and who in some nine month’s time will be the cornerstone of Europe’s quest to capture a fourth straight Ryder Cup.
And Clarke’s quest to return home with the Ryder Cup has clearly been buoyed by his efforts in steamy Malaysia.
“I’ve really enjoyed the week as the guys seemed to have listened to what I had to say, and if my little part of it has helped them along, then well be it.
“So I am really looking forward now to going back out on Tour the next couple of weeks and then sitting down with the European Tour and figure out what I did well as captain or what I could have done better and work on those areas and hopefully get the whole package even better for September.”
It was Ian Poulter, competing as a ‘wildcard’ pick, who claimed the opening point on the closing day storming his way to a 4 & 3 win over local hero Danny Chia and with Poulter grabbing six birdies ahead of sealing success at the 15th.
Fellow Englishman Andy Sullivan, like Poulter, remained undefeated in his three matches claiming a similar 4 & 3 triumph over Thailand’s prolific winning Thongchai Jaidee.
Lee Westwood, also playing as a ‘wildcard’ choice, made it 12 points for Europe in handing out a 7 & 6 thumping to Malaysian Nicholas Fang.
Just minutes later a fourth Englishman in Willett claimed the point to deliver Europe victory.
Sweden’s Kristoffer Broberg then defeated Japan’s Shingo Katayama 5 & 4 before Asia salvaged some pride.
Current Asian Tour No. 1 Anirban Lahiri defeated Ireland’s Shane Lowry 2 & 1 while Korean K T Kim silenced Austrian-born giant Bernd Wiesberger 3 & 2.
Lahiri while delighted to finally record a victory then called on the Asian Tour to work harder in finding ways to help improve the match-play skills of those in general competing on the world’s third largest Tour.
“We need to set in a train like Europe and the PGA Tour some system in helping groom the Asian Tour players more so that they get used to competing in more match play events,” said Lahiri.
It was a similar call from Singh who was appointed last month to the Asian Tour Board of Directors.
“We do need to follow the same course as the European Tour because we have seen it for years now that they are the best team in the world when it comes to match-play competition,” said Singh.
“They start their preparation for these team event a good year before and we need to do exactly the same.
“We need to have a board meeting to discuss to set-up a system that can be in place for making sure that the team is prepared like all the stats, the back-room boys, the selection of the players so that we are ready and prepared like the Europeans are.”
In the remaining matches England’s Chris Wood won 1up over India’s SSP Chawrasia while in other matches 21-year Brit Matthew Fitzpatrick won 2up over Thailand’s Kiradech Aphibarnrat.
Korean Jeung Hun Wang birdied the last to halve his match with England’s Ross Fisher.
Frenchman Victor Dubuisson accounted for China’s Ashun Wu 1up and in the final match Denmark’s Soren Kjeldsen handed out a 3 & 2 defeat to Thailand’s Prayad Marksaeng.
