Nice Britain and Eire constructed a powerful 3.5-1.5 lead over Continental Europe after the opening day of the Crew Cup, a Ryder Cup-style occasion in Abu Dhabi.
Taking part in-captain Justin Rose partnered Matt Wallace in a 3&1 defeat towards Romain Langasque and Mathieu Pavon, then watched on as his facet completed unbeaten within the different 4 fourballs matches on the Abu Dhabi Golf Resort.
Tyrrell Hatton performed alongside Tom McKibbin – reportedly a future LIV Golf team-mate – as they noticed off Antoine Rozner and Julien Guerrier 3&2, whereas Laurie Canter and Jordan Smith claimed a final-hole victory over Rasmus Hojgaard and Rasmus Neergaard-Petersen.
Picture:
Tyrrell Hatton partnered Tom McKibbin to victory of their fourballs match
Tommy Fleetwood and Aaron Rai got here from behind to beat Matteo Manassero and Continental Europe captain Francesco Molinari 4&2, with the opposite match seeing Matthew Jordan and Paul Waring end tied towards Niklas Norgaard and former Ryder Cup participant Thorbjorn Olesen.
GB and Eire will take a two-point lead into Saturday’s two periods of foursomes, the place all 20 gamers shall be concerned in each periods, with Rose’s workforce requiring one other 9.5 factors over the weekend to win the biennial workforce contest.
Picture:
Scores and outcomes from the opening day of the Crew Cup
“I’m really pleased with that,” Rose mentioned. “Some of the key messaging around the Ryder Cup is get off to a fast start. There was too much blue on the board for my liking, which I was contributing to as well unfortunately, but the team rallied well.”
How Rose’s GB and Eire moved forward
Continental Europe by no means trailed within the prime match, as Pavon birdied the primary and Langasque transformed from an analogous distance on the sixth to match the birdie of Wallace. Langasque prolonged their lead with a surprising eagle hole-out from the eighth fairway and Pavon birdied the ninth to see them attain the flip three forward.
Please use Chrome browser for a extra accessible video participant
Crew Continental Europe’s Romain Langasque holes out for a superb eagle in the course of the opening day of the Crew Cup.
Rose received successive holes to start out the again 9 earlier than Pavon birdied the par-three twelfth and cancelled out Wallace’s birdie on the fifteenth by claiming the subsequent, earlier than wrapping up victory on the ultimate gap to present the defending champions their solely full level of the session.
“Being paired with Romain was just beautiful and we got the win, so it’s a perfect day,” Pavon mentioned. “It’s not often we play team golf and I know GB and Ireland have a better record than Continental Europe, which we want to change. We won the last Team Cup and want to win this one as well.”
Neergard-Petersen made a chip-in eagle to depart him and Hojgaard one forward with eight to play, however Smith gave him and Canter management of that contest by profitable the subsequent three holes.
This content material is offered by Twitter, which can be utilizing cookies and different applied sciences.
To indicate you this content material, we want your permission to make use of cookies.
You should use the buttons beneath to amend your preferences to allow Twitter cookies or to permit these cookies simply as soon as.
You’ll be able to change your settings at any time by way of the Privateness Choices.
Sadly we have now been unable to confirm if in case you have consented to Twitter cookies.
To view this content material you need to use the button beneath to permit Twitter cookies for this session solely.
Allow Cookies
Enable Cookies As soon as
The GB and Eire pair held on for a full level after posting a birdie on the par-five final, whereas Fleetwood and Rai additionally recovered from a sluggish begin to report the largest victory of the day towards Molinari and Manassero.
Fleetwood edged them forward with a birdie on the eleventh and Rai rolled in from 15 ft on the 14th to double their benefit, with the pair profitable every of the subsequent three holes to make sure Rose’s facet would finish the opening day with a lead.
Picture:
Justin Rose and Francesco Molinari are each seeking to lead their sides to Crew Cup victory
McKibbin and Hatton birdied every of their first three holes and solely misplaced one gap, when Guerrier birdied the fifth, with the GB and Eire pair forming a formidable partnership as they closed out their level with two holes to spare.
“You want to get off to a nice start, you don’t want to give holes away early and we did a really good job of that today,” Hatton mentioned. “We didn’t drop a shot as a team. If they won a hole, they earned it by making birdies. Happy to win a point.”
Who will win the Crew Cup? Watch all through the weekend stay on Sky Sports activities! Stay protection continues on Saturday from 3.30am on Sky Sports activities Golf, with a second session from 7am. Stream the PGA Tour, DP World Tour, majors and extra with NOW.
Get one of the best costs and e book a spherical at one among 1,700 programs throughout the UK & Eire
