Nicolas Colsaerts of Belgium makes the last putt to secure a victory for Europe at 8-7 against Asia. PHOTO: AFP
Seemingly down and out, Europe stunned their Asian rivals with a startling late surge.
In a gripping climax, the honour of securing the winning point went to Nicolas Colsaerts, who held off home favourite Liang Wenchong in the final match to clinch an 8.5-7.5 victory — the fifth time in seven editions of the Royal Trophy that Europe has won.
Olazabal, twice previously a losing Royal Trophy captain, said: “Our players did something extraordinary. We knew it was going to be difficult. I thank all eight of these fantastic guys. I’m proud of the way the team played.”
For his part, Asia captain YE Yang was clearly stunned by the defeat.
“I never expected this because we were so far in front,” said Yang. “The loss is a huge blow and a big surprise. Hopefully we’ll learn from the mistakes we made.”
Published in The Express Tribune, December 23rd, 2013.
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