We are the champions! The winning Asia team with the Royal Trophy after their first success over Europe.Asians hope Europe will send a stronger
team for future Royal Trophy matches
The feeling in Asian Tour circles is that Europe paid the price for sending their second or third-best team when they were well beaten, 10-6, by Asia for the first time in the Royal Trophy match which ended at the Amata Spring Country Club, Bangkok in Thailand on Sunday.
South Korean Charlie Wi is hopeful Asia's commanding win will convince Europe to start taking the competition seriously and field stronger teams.
Wi, who plays on the US Tour, said Asia's "humbling" of the twice champions had boosted the credibility of the match-play contest and should see big name players signing up to restore European pride next year.
"It's great to win. Maybe now they'll realise they need to pick better players if they want to win. We'll see what happens next year but we all want everyone to take this seriously. I was surprised they didn't."
Europe won the first two editions, the second by a massive nine point margin, but last week skipper Jose Maria Olazabal fielded a team of his own choice that featured just two members of the Ryder Cup squad that lost to the United States in 2008.
Wi, who had four top-10 finishes in the U.S. last year, said the Royal Trophy was ideally placed on the calendar, a week before the lucrative Abu Dhabi Golf Championship, and should be attractive for top European players. "It's perfectly placed and it's a good competition," he added. "I don't know how surprised the Europeans were by us but they certainly did not put out their strongest team and I hope they'll take it seriously next year."
Paul Lawrie, the best-performing player on what captain Jose Maria Olazabal admitted was a "rusty" European side, said he was surprised by the scale of the event and the standard of the Asian players.
"This competition could have a massive future," the 1999 Open champion said. "I'll tell any other European players that they should jump at the chance if they are asked to play here."
team for future Royal Trophy matches
The feeling in Asian Tour circles is that Europe paid the price for sending their second or third-best team when they were well beaten, 10-6, by Asia for the first time in the Royal Trophy match which ended at the Amata Spring Country Club, Bangkok in Thailand on Sunday.
South Korean Charlie Wi is hopeful Asia's commanding win will convince Europe to start taking the competition seriously and field stronger teams.
Wi, who plays on the US Tour, said Asia's "humbling" of the twice champions had boosted the credibility of the match-play contest and should see big name players signing up to restore European pride next year.
"It's great to win. Maybe now they'll realise they need to pick better players if they want to win. We'll see what happens next year but we all want everyone to take this seriously. I was surprised they didn't."
Europe won the first two editions, the second by a massive nine point margin, but last week skipper Jose Maria Olazabal fielded a team of his own choice that featured just two members of the Ryder Cup squad that lost to the United States in 2008.
Wi, who had four top-10 finishes in the U.S. last year, said the Royal Trophy was ideally placed on the calendar, a week before the lucrative Abu Dhabi Golf Championship, and should be attractive for top European players. "It's perfectly placed and it's a good competition," he added. "I don't know how surprised the Europeans were by us but they certainly did not put out their strongest team and I hope they'll take it seriously next year."
Paul Lawrie, the best-performing player on what captain Jose Maria Olazabal admitted was a "rusty" European side, said he was surprised by the scale of the event and the standard of the Asian players.
"This competition could have a massive future," the 1999 Open champion said. "I'll tell any other European players that they should jump at the chance if they are asked to play here."
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posted by Colin |
See story on its own page | Monday, January 12, 2009
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