REFILE-UPDATE 1-Golf-Monty leads Europe to thrilling victory (Reuters)
January 10, 2010
* Stenson sinks winning putt in dramatic finale
* Montgomerie says win is perfect Ryder Cup preparation
(refiles to fix spelling of Hanson in para 7)
By Martin Petty
CHONBURI, Thailand, Jan 10 (Reuters) – Europe survived adramatic fightback to beat holders Asia 8-1/2 – 7-1/2 on Sunday,winning the Royal Trophy for the third time in a thrilling matchthat went to the final hole.
Player-captain Colin Montgomerie’s Europe sealed victorywhen Henrik Stenson sank a nervy six-foot putt to halve withThongchai Jaidee in the singles as the Thai favourite missed a12-footer to take the competition to a sudden-death playoff.
Under pressure from a huge Amata Spring Country Club crowdhoping for him to miss, the Swede steadied himself with a deepbreath and rolled the ball into the cup to deny Asia a secondsuccessive win after a superb performance on the last day.
“It was a do-or-die moment. I wasn’t playing good, I had tocome back from three down and I knew I had the chance to winit,” Stenson told reporters.
“It wasn’t the easiest to hole but I finished it off.”
Europe led by a point going into the singles but were in aprecarious position as Charlie Wi, Jeev Milkha Singh and KoumeiOda won on the last day for Asia.
Peter Hanson, Soren Kjeldsen and Pablo Martin replied withvictories for the visitors while Montgomerie and Stenson camefrom behind to win important halves on the final hole.
PERFECT START
Montgomerie said the triumph, and the intensity of thematch, was the perfect preparation for October’s Ryder Cup inWales where he will again skipper Europe.
“It was an incredible competition,” said the Scot afterbirdying the last to halve with China’s Liang Wenchong.
“We had a strong team and it was very close but I didn’tthink it would be that close.
“All credit to this team of winners for fighting, they didgreat. It was a good start for European golf in a very importantyear.”
Thongchai, who has been one of the best performers in theRoyal Trophy for Asia, was left rueing his missed putt at thelast and apologised to his team mates.
“I was playing very well. It was a very tough final hole, itreally wasn’t an easy putt,” he said.
“I let the team down, I want to apologise to them. I gave itall I had.”
The win left Europe with three Royal Trophy victories toAsia’s one. The competition returns to Thailand for a fifth yearin 2011.
Asia captain Naomichi “Joe” Ozaki praised his players andsaid he had his sights set on taking the match to sudden-death.
“Before Thongchai stepped up to make the putt I had ascenario in my mind,” he said.
“I thought it would go in and we would throw our hats intothe air and we would go into the playoff and win. It’s a shameit didn’t happen.”
(Editing by Tony Jimenez. To comment on this story, e-mail:sportsfeedback@thomsonreuters.com)
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