Team China made the best of atrocious weather on Sunday to pip an Asia-Pacific Select side 12 1/2 - 11 1/2 and win OneAsia’s Ryder Cup-style Dongfeng Nissan Cup for a first time. It took the last putt of a gripping contest to decide the match in China’s favour, with the home team winning Sunday’s singles 7 - 5 after taking Saturday’s foursomes 4 - 2 and going down 4 1/2 - 1 1/2 in Friday’s fourball encounters.
The Dongfeng Nissan Cup pits 12 Asia-Pacific players against a China national team over three days of matchplay competition at the CTS Tycoon Golf Club. The visitors won the inaugural 2011 tournament 12 1/2 - 11 1/2, and retained the title last year with a 14 1/2 - 9 1/2 victory.
“I said last week that when it comes to golf, China has been asleep for 40 years -- but they have certainly woken up now,” said legendary five-time Open Champion Peter Thomson, captain of the Asia-Pacific Select side for a third year.
“I am very impressed with the progress they have made. They are ready to take on anyone.”
The importance of the win to Team China was obvious as they mobbed Su Dong (above) after he sank a nervy four-footer to halve the 18th and beat Scott Laycock by one.
Su had missed a similar-length sitter on the 17th that would have secured the win, while Laycock’s 20-footer on the last to force a tie and playoff, agonisingly shaved the hole.
“This was a really good win for us,” said Cheng Jun, Team China’s vice-captain.
“This is definitely the strongest Asia-Pacific side that we have faced in the three years of the tournament, so I am very proud that this team managed to beat them.”
Cheng said the weather definitely helped the home team, with cold rain drenching the course overnight and through most of the day.
“A lot of my players are from the north where it is already hard winter,” said Cheng. “This weather is nothing to them.”
Scores
Results of Sunday’s singles matches between Team China and an Asia-Pacific Select side at OneAsia’s Dongfeng Nissan Cup being played at the CTS Tycoon Club in Shenzhen (Team China names first):
Team China 12 1/2, Asia Pacific Select 11 1/2
Wang Minghao lost to Masimichi Uehira 3 & 1
Wu Ashun bt Michael Long 4 & 3
Huang Wenyi halved with Choi Ho-sung
Yang Guanming bt Kim Dae-sub by one
Yan Bin bt Eric Mina 4 & 3
Dou Zecheng bt Thaworn Wiratchant 4 & 3
Li Xinyang lost to Kazuhiro Yamashita 2 & 1
Wu Kangchun halved with Choo Tze-huang
Huang Mingjie halved with Rory Hie
Zhang Lianwei halved with Matthew Griffin
Su Dong bt Scott Laycock by one
Li Chao lost to Gareth Paddison 2 &1