Driving Naari Programme launched in Chandigarh
Shah Alam (Malaysia), Jan 15
Anirban Lahiri and SSP Chawrasia lost their respective matches as Europe outputted Asia to grab a three-point lead on the opening day of the second EurAsia Cup here today.
The visitors grabbed four-and-a-half points against Asia’s one-and-a-half after most of the Asian players were found wanting on the green. However, Asia’s non-playing skipper Jeev Milkha Singh said he was positive about the next two days.
Asia’s lone winning point came from the 2014 captain Thongchai Jaidee, who was partnering the 2015 European Tour’s rookie of the year, Korean Byeong Hun An. The duo beat Danny Willet and Matthew Fitzpatrick with a fine run at the end.
Local pair Danny Chia and Nicolas Fung hung in till the end to snatch a vital half point against Soren Kjeldsen and Victor Dubuisson. The match was a birdie fest on the back nine as the Europeans made three, and the Asians had six. In the end, it was Chia who holed a tense three-footer to halve the point.
Lahiri, with Jeunghun Wang, opened the Asian challenge against Ian Poulter and Bernd Wiesberger, but finished on the losing side (4&3). A three-hole stretch immediately after the turn swung the match decisively in favour of Poulter and Wiesberger, who never loosened the grip.
SSP Chawrasia, who played well with Kiradech Aphibarnrat, holed a few nice long putts, but Lee Westwood, a nine-time Ryder Cup player, and Chris Wood nailed vital putts towards the end, including one of the par-five 16th and win 2&1.
