Europe claim the upper hand

Seve Ballesteros’ European team gained the upper hand over the Asian counterparts in the early exchanges of the Royal Trophy at Amata Springs Country Club.

Ballesteros had predicted a 3-1 lead at the end of the first day’s play when he announced his line-up for the foursomes and the Spaniard’s team looked to be on their way towards achieving the captain’s goal.

They were up in three and down in one at the halfway stage on the opening day.

Despite losing the first hole, Ryder Cup stars Lee Westwood and Darren Clarke finished the front nine one up on South Korea’s SK Ho and Toru Taniguchi of Japan.

The Asian pair began with a birdie but were pegged back at the third when the Europeans picked up a birdie of their own before a bogey at the fifth and another at the seventh gave Westwood and Clarke a two-hole lead.

However, Clarke’s tee-shot into the water at the par-three eighth handed a hole back to leave the match well poised going into the back nine.

The same could not be said of Johan Edfors and Henrik Stenson’s match against Tetsuji Hiratsuka and Prom Meesawat as the Europeans went three up after four holes and were four up after seven in a one-sided encounter.

The other Swedish pairing of Robert Karlsson and Niclas Fasth went one up against Thai duo Thongchai Jaidee and Thaworn Wiratchant at the fourth and led by one after six.

Tightest contest early on featured Asian number one Jeev Milkha Singh and his Korean playing partner YE Yang, who led by one hole after eight over Anthony Wall and Paul McGinley.

The European pair started the stronger, however, winning the first with a birdie before handing back that advantage with a bogey at the third.

A birdie two at the fourth put the Asians on top and they went further ahead when the Europeans bogeyed the fifth.

But a birdie at the sixth for Wall and McGinley and an Asian bogey at the seventh saw the score levelled before a birdie at the eighth put Singh and Yang back on top.