Atwal determined to win EurAsia Cup

Team Asia captain Arjun Atwal asserted on Thursday that he intends to win the third edition of the EurAsia Cup golf tournament by unleashing his strongest pairings in Fridays opening Fourball matches.

Having drawn 10-10 in the inaugural edition in 2014 and going down margin of 18.5 to 5.5 in 2016, Atwal, who is captaining the side for the first time, is eager to set the record straight with a win at the Glenmarie Golf and Counntry Club.

"The matches look pretty balanced. But the players in my team are all champions and they all know how to win," Atwal said in a statement.

"If you come into our team room, you'll see their banners up and each and every one of them holding trophies. It takes a lot of guts and hunger to win a golf tournament, and all 12 of my players have it," Atwal added.

The Indian, who won the Asian Tour Order of Merit in 2003, is counting on Korea's Byeonghun An and Thailand's Kiradech Aphibarnrat to deliver the first point in their opening match against England's Tommy Fleetwood and Paul Casey.

Asia's second pairing of Yuta Ikeda and Gavin Green may also prove to be a formidable one as Ikeda, the highest ranked Asian player at world number 36 is poised to strike a decisive partnership with Green, Asia's number one as they attempt to take down England's Matthew Fitzpatrick and Belgium's Thomas Pieters.

Atwal's strategic pairing of Thailand's Phachara Khongwatmai and Japan's Hideto Tanihara where there is a mix of youth and experience could prove to be the difference as they face off with Sweden's Alex Noren and Ireland's Paul Dunne.

Atwal picked Korea's Sunghoon Kang for the fourth match with Thailand's Poom Saksansin while Team Europe's captain Thomas Bjorn opted for Major winner Henrik Stenson of Sweden and France's Alexander Levy.

Malaysia's Nicholas Fung together with China's Li Haotong will then square off against Austria's Bernd Wiesberger while the Indian duo of Anirban Lahiri and S.S.P. Chawrasia will try to wrap up the points for Team Asia in their last match against England's Ross Fisher and Tyrrell Hatton.

--IANS

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