Kuala Lumpur: Coming into the inaugural Asia Cup golf tournament, Asia captain Thongchai Jaidee had said his men could only get the better of the formidable European team led by iconic Spaniard Miguel Angel Jiminez if “they played for one another and Asia’s pride”.
On Tuesday, ahead of the draw that will set the stage for Thursday’s first stage of competition at the challenging Glenmarie Golf and Country Club that ends on Saturday, the two Indians in Team Asia Anirban Lahiri and Gaganjeet Bhullar agreed.
“We have played team golf together. But in juniors and amateurs, you play your own ball and the best scores count. This is the first time I will be playing in this format (fourball and foursomes) though Gagan has played before.
We are looking to some upsets when the event begins this week,” said three-time Asian Tour winner Lahiri.Alongside the two, Asia have lined up Thai stars Kiradech Aphibarnrat and Prayad Marksaeng, local lad Nicholas Fung, Korea’s Kim Hyung-sung, Bangladeshi star Siddikur and the Japanese duo of Koumei Oda and Hideto Tanihara.
Going up against them will be a strong Europe unit that includes Irish Ryder Cup star and 2010 US Open champion Graeme McDowell, the cigar-chomping Jiminez himself, Thomas Bjorn of Denmark, Welshman Jamie
Donaldson, Victor Dubuisson of France, Spaniards Gonzalo Fernandez-Castano and Pablo Larrazabal, a two-time Dubai Classic winner.
Strengthening Thong-chai’s hands is the fact that Lahiri and Bhullar have played a lot of team competitions together, from the Eisenhower Cup, the Nomura Cup and the Asian Games.