MCDOWELL, DONALDSON, DUBUISSON, F-CASTANO NAMED FOR FIRST EURASIA CUP
Graeme
McDowell, the first of four automatic qualifiers, will be among the
biggest names starring for Team Europe at the inaugural EurAsia Cup
After being unveiled as European Captain at a press conference in Hong
Kong,
Miguel Angel Jiménez announced the first four automatic qualifiers for
his ten-man team to face Thongchai Jaidee’s Asian Team at the Glenmarie
Golf and Country Club in Kuala Lumpur from March 27-29, 2014.
McDowell will be
joined in Malaysia by Jamie Donaldson, Victor Dubuisson and Gonzalo
Fernandez-Castaño, all four securing their places on the team thanks to
their final position in The 2013 Race to Dubai.
Having claimed the
winning point at The 2010 Ryder Cup and as the current Volvo World Match
Play champion, McDowell knows a thing or two about the pressures of
team golf and the unique nature of match play.
The 2010 US Open
Champion will be a huge presence both inside and outside the ropes for
Jiménez, and he is relishing the chance to contribute to more European
success.
“I am really
looking forward to playing the EurAsia Cup,” said McDowell, who finished
the 2013 season fourth in The Race to Dubai. “It’s a great concept to
bring Asia and Europe together and I think it has a lot of potential
to become a very big event.
“Everyone knows the
standards in Asian golf are continually rising and I have no doubt it
will be a tough job to go away from home and win.
“But
if we gel as a team and get the pairings right then we will have a
chance because there will be a lot of quality and experienced players in
the European Team and I am sure a few of them will be looking to
sharpen
their match play skills with an eye on The Ryder Cup next year.”
Donaldson,
Dubuisson and Fernandez-Castaño are three such players who know that a
strong showing in the EurAsia Cup could boost their Ryder Cup hopes.
“It’s
great to have qualified for the team,” said Donaldson, winner of the
2013 Abu Dhabi HSBC Golf Champions. “I have played for Great Britain and
Ireland in the last two Seve Trophies and really enjoyed those
experiences
so it will be interesting to now represent Europe in a team
competition.
“It’s
obviously a big year for team golf in Europe with the EurAsia Cup in
March and then The Ryder Cup in September so I am looking forward to
trying to be involved in two winning European teams.”
Dubuisson,
meanwhile, is still living in dreamland after his unforgettable victory
over Tiger Woods and the rest of the best at the Turkish Airlines Open
in November changed the path of his career. The young Frenchman’s
victory in Turkey helped him finish the year at sixth in The Race to
Dubai to qualify for Jiménez’s EurAsia Cup team.
“It’s
amazing to qualify for this team,” said Dubuisson. “Winning in Turkey
has changed so many things in my career and this is another benefit.
It’s been a bit of a dream to be honest but hopefully I can continue to
play at this level and help the team win the cup.”
Fernandez-Castaño,
winner of the BMW Masters presented by SRE Group in October, is
relishing the chance to play under his old friend and compatriot
Jiménez.
“It
will be an honour to represent Europe and a very special week for to
play under Miguel,” said Fernandez-Castaño. “Spanish players have a rich
history of playing for and then captaining European teams in Seve
Trophies
and Ryder Cups and it is nice to be a part of that tradition.
“The
EurAsia Cup is a fantastic idea and could become something very
special. This could be the beginning of a very special era of team golf
for Asia and Europe and it is great to be involved the first match
because it
will be an historic occasion.”
Labels: EUROPEAN TOUR
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