January 8th 2010, Chonburi, Thailand:

Ryo Ishikawa & Koumei Oda beat Colin Montgomerie & Pablo Martin 3&2.

The Asian duo made the worst possible start after Ishikawa got the fourth Royal Trophy under way, as they gifted the first two holes to their opponents.

Oda's approach to the first sailed into the reeds at the back of the green, resulting in a penalty drop, and a clumsy three putt on the second green after Ishikawa's magnificent second shot set up an eagle chance saw them fall two behind.

But Montgomerie and Martin were equally wasteful as they three-putted from seven feet at the third, and Ishikawa drained a 20 footer for a birdie at the next to make it all-square.

And the Asia pair made a decisive move just before the turn, with Oda producing a great test hot at the eighth to set up a birdie, and Ishikawa chipping in for a birdie at the ninth. That gave them a two hole lead they never looked like relinquishing.


Jeev Milkha Singh & Gaganjeet Bhullar halved with Soren Kjeldsen & Peter Hanson

The Indian pair struck the first blow here with a birdie at the second, but carelessly squandered that advantage when they stumbled to a bogey at the fifth hole.

The found themselves trailing when Hanson's glorious approach to the seventh set up a birdie, but Bhullar immediately topped that with an even better iron shot at the eighth, to within three feet of the flag.

The topsy-turvy nature of the contest continued as the European pair conjured up a winning birdie at the tenth to go one up again, only yo make a mess of the long 11th, conceding their opponents' birdie putt when the best they could manage was a six.

Another six at the par four 12th meant they committed the cardinal sin of losing a hole to a bogey. Fortunes continued to fluctuate as Asia's bogey at the 17th brought the match level again, and Singh had to hole a tricky five footer for a half at the last.


Charlie Wi & Liang Wen-chong lost to Alexander Noren & Robert Karlsson 4&2.

This was the pick of the matches in terms of quality, with Liang and Wi picking up birdies at three of the first four holes - although that only put them one up as the Swedish pair grabbed two birdies of their own.

The match turned around completely from the sixth as Noren's superb approach set up a winning birdie. The Europeans repeated the dose at the next hole, and when Liang's tee shot went into the drink at the island eighth, his team were suddenly two down.

It would have got even worse for Liang and Wi - foursomes and fourball winners a year ago - if Noren had managed to convert a four footer on the ninth. He watched in disbelief as his ball horseshoed around the hole and span out.

But the Swedes were in irresistible form, and after Wi and Liang matched their birdie at the 11th they produced yet another birdie - their sixth - to go three up, and they eventually closed the match out on the 16th with yet another birdie.


Prayad Marksaeng & Thongchai Jaidee beat Simon Dyson & Henrik Stenson 3&1.

Stenson and Dyson looked to be Europe's strongest pairing, but they did nothing to confirm that billing with a ragged start that saw them cover the first six holes in two over par.

The Thai duo, the unbeaten stars of Asia's 10-6 win last year, did not have to produce any real heroics to finish that stretch two up, although Thongchai holed an eight footer for a half on the third before his partner rolled home a slippery ten footer for birdie on the next.

Stenson's glorious tee shot to four feet at the eight gave the European some hope, but they were lucky to scramble a half at the ninth when Stenson put his approach into the water - and Dyson's caddie also went in up his knees!

But the Thai duo delighted their army of supporters with a crucial birdie on the tenth, and deservedly kept their opponents at bay over the course of a nerve-jangling back nine.