Europe dominate EurAsia Cup opening day

KUALA LUMPUR, Mar 27 (AFP): Team Europe took a huge step towards winning the inaugural EurAsia Cup Thursday when they crushed Asia 5-0 in the opening day four-ball matches of the Ryder Cup-styled event.
European captain Miguel Angel Jimenez and fellow Spaniard Pablo Larrazabal gave them the perfect start by beating Team Asia leader Thongchai Jaidee and Kiradech Aphibarnrat 2 and 1 in Malaysia's capital Kuala Lumpur.
Three of the other five matches were as easily won by the Europeans at the Glenmarie Golf and Country Club.
Only Malaysia's Nicholas Fung and his South Korean partner Kim Hyung-Sung had a good opportunity to give Asia a point after going three-up through seven holes.
But Europe's pairing of Graeme McDowell and Jamie Donaldson went on the offensive and turned it around to register a 3 and 1 victory.
"We somehow managed to make the turn at one-down which was huge," McDowell said. "And this guy (Donaldson) had a phenomenal back nine... It was great to watch."
Danish pairing Thomas Bjorn and Thorbjorn Olesen beat Japan's Koumei Oda and Hideto Tanihara 2 up while France's Victor Dubuisson and Joost Luiten of the Netherlands defeated Thai Prayad Marksaeng and Bangladesh's Siddikur Rahman 3 and 2.
Spain's Gonzalo Fernandez-Castano and Stephen Gallacher of Scotland enjoyed the biggest win of the day, defeating India's Gaganjeet Bhullar and Anirban Lahiri 4 and 3.
Before tee-off, Malaysia's prime minister led a minute of silence together with the two team captains as a tribute to Malaysia Airlines flight MH370.
Malaysia says the Beijing-bound flight that lost contact shortly after take-off from Kuala Lumpur on March 8 crashed into the southern Indian Ocean with 239 people aboard.
All players and officials wore black ribbons, and visitors were able to leave a message on a wall of condolence, the organisers said.