Day 1

January 9th 2010, Chonburi, Thailand: 

Jeev Milkha Singh & Gaganjeet Bhullar lost to Colin Montgomerie & Simon Dyson 4&3.

Joe Ozaki's decision to send the Indian duo out first never looked like paying off - they failed to win a single hole on the front nine, and found themselves three down at the turn.

Dyson struck first by sinking a 15 footer for a birdie on the third hole, and the Indian duo gifted the fifth to their opponents. Bhullar found a bunker and then hit a clumsy chip down a slope - while Singh's ball rolled back to his feet when he tried to putt up the same run-off area.

European player-captain Colin Montgomerie hit a superb approach to set up the only birdie at the long sixth before the Asian pair finally won a hole when Singh converted a six foot birdie chance on the tenth.

The big-hitting Bhullar made it two wins in a row by muscling his way to a four on the par five 11th. But he then three-putted from 12 feet on the 12th to hand the initiative back, and Dyson took advantage with a twenty footer for birdie on the 13th and a chip-in birdie on the next.


Charlie Wi & Liang Wen-chong beat Soren Kjeldsen & Peter Hanson 5&4.

Wi and Liang made handsome amends for their foursomes defeat - the only Asian partnership to lose on day one - as they produced a sensational scoring streak to overwhelm the Scandinavians.

Wi and Liang birdied seven of the first nine holes to storm five clear at the turn, and after that is was just a question of when they would put their opponents out of their misery.

Hanson had briefly interrupted the Asian barrage with an eagle form 12 feet on the second, cancelling out Wi's birdie from half that distance on the first hole. But Liang put his team back in front by nailing a snaking twenty footer on the fourth.

They went on to win four holes in a row, climaxed by Liang's chip-in for birdie at the seventh, before Wi got in on the act again by holing a bomb on the tough ninth for yet another birdie. Kjeldsen and Hanson hung on grimly, but there was no way back.


Ryo Ishikawa & Koumei Oda lost to Alexander Noren & Robert Karlsson 6&4.

Karlsson and Noren took up where they left of on day one - where they were an incredible six under par against Wi and Liang - with another irresitible scoring burst, as they refused to surrender a single hole in this resounding win.

Karlsson set the tone by holing a putt from the right fringe on the opening hole, and Noren hit two magnificent shots to leave himself just nine feet for an eagle at the second.

Ishikawa and Oda hit back from losing the first two holes to beat Montgomerie and Martin in the foursomes, but there was to be no reprieve this time, and Oda had to make a great up-and-down from the back of the third to keep his team in touch.

Another stunning approach at the fifth earned Noren a tap-in birdie to take Europe three up. Two huge blows with the driver saw him reach the green on the long 11th, for a birdie that effectively sealed Asia's fate - especially when Ishikawa's chip hit the flag and stayed out.


Prayad Marksaeng & Thongchai Jaidee lost to Henrik Stenson & Pablo Martin 3&1.

This was a real ding-dong battle, with Martin and Thongchai trading birdies on the opening hole to provide a taste of what was to come, before Martin followed up by improving on Thongchai's birdie with a ten footer for eagle at the second.

Stenson doubled the advantage when he almost holed in one on the fourth hole - leaving a kick-in birdie - and it was obvious Thongchai and Prayad would have to pull out all the stops to avoid slipping to their first defeat in four matches together.

It looked like Europe might go three up on the sixth - but Thongchai holed a tricky 15 footer for birdie to put the pressure on Martin, who missed from six feet in a classic match play swing of fortunes.

The Thai duo levelled the contest on the eighth, the famous island hole. They both hit it close, and Prayad got there first for the birdie. But that was as good as it got for the local heroes, as winning birdies from Stenson on the tenth and 13th holes turned the match, and put Europe ahead going into the singles.