Ras Al Khaimah, United Arab Emirates: Rising to the occasion, Mirabel Ting helped the Asia-Pacific Golf Confederation (APGC) Patsy Hankins Trophy team maintain its lead in day two’s opening session.
In a heavyweight clash, Malaysian Ting, fourth in the World Amateur Golf Ranking (WAGR), combined brilliantly with Chinese Taipei’s Cindy Hsu Huai-chien to inflict a 3&2 defeat on England’s Patience Rhodes and Lottie Woad, number one in the WAGR.
“We didn’t miss a fairway and played really well,” said Ting, who met Hsu for the first time this week in what is the fourth edition of the Solheim Cup-style match play event against the European Golf Association at Al Hamra Golf Club.
“We’ve hit it off well. It’s been good to play with her,” added Ting, who will once more anchor the Asia-Pacific line-up alongside Hsu the afternoon fourballs against Woad and Ireland’s Beth Coulter.
On another morning of high-quality golf, Joanne McKee’s Asia-Pacific team won two of the five foursomes clashes, seeing their overnight 7-3 advantage trimmed by one point.
Bidding to regain the title they lost in Spain in 2023, the Asia-Pacific took a 9-6 lead into the afternoon fourballs. The contest will conclude on Friday with 12 singles matches.
Ting and Hsu were not the only standouts in the morning with the Japanese duo of Mamika Shinchi and Aira Nagasawa maintaining their 100 per cent record this week, comfortably seeing off Italy’s Francesca Fiorellini and Spaniard Rocio Tejedo, 4&3.
When Sophie Han made a birdie putt on 17 to bring her and paertner Ren Yijia back to all-square against Spaniard Carolina Chacarra and Dane Emma Kaisa Bunch, the Asia-Pacific contingent were hopeful of putting themselves in an even stronger position.
However, the Europeans produced a much-needed birdie at the par-five 18 to claim a one-up win.
In the two other foursomes clashes Thai Suvichaya Vinichaitham and New Zealand’s Vivian Lu lost two-down to the Irish pair of Coulter and Aine Donegan and Korean Jeong Min-seo and Hong Kong China’s Arianna Lau were beaten 5&4 by Italian Carolina Melgrati and Dane Marie Madsen.
Meanwhile, Rishi Narain’s Bonallack Trophy team got their noses back in front after winning the morning foursomes session 3-2.
Locked at 5-5 after day one, the APGC side withstood a strong European challenge to triumph in the foursomes segment for the second day in succession.
Thai Thanawin Lee and Japan’s Taishi Moto gave Asia-Pacific a winning start, seeing off Czech Republic’s Filip Jakucik and Dutchman Benjamin Reuter, two-up, in the first match out.
After winning both their matches together on day one, New Zealand’s Joshua Bai and Zack Swanwick went down 2&1 to the top-ranked Spanish pairing of Jose Luis Ballester and Pablo Ereno Perez.
Belying their tender years, 17-year-old Nguyen Anh Minh from Vietnam and 15-year-old Indian Kartik Singh upset Swede Algot Kleen and Iceland’s Arni Sveinsson 4&2 in game three.
Thai Pichaksin Maichon and China’s Zhou Ziqin ensured the Asia-Pacific would regain the overall lead when they defeated Estonian Richard Teder and Ukranian Lev Grinberg 3&2.
But in the final match, Singaporean Hiroshi Tai and Enrique Dimayuga of the Philippines failed to click and were soundly beat 4&2 by the English duo of Charlie Forster and Dominic Clemons.
SESSION 3: PATSY HANKINS TROPHY FOURSOMES RESULTS – ASIA-PACIFIC 2 EUROPE 3
Sophie Han and Ren Yijia (Asia-Pacific) lost to Carolina Chacarra and Emma Kaisa Bunch (Europe) 1-down
Suvichaya Vinichaitham and Vivian Lu (Asia-Pacific) lost to Beth Coulter and Aine Donegan (Europe) 2-down
Jeong Min-seo and Arianna Lau (Asia-Pacific) lost to Carolina Melgrati and Marie Madsen (Europe) 5&4
Mamika Shinchi and Aira Nagasawa (Asia-Pacific) beat Francesca Fiorellini and Rocio Tejedo (Europe) 4&3
Cindy Hsu Huai-chien and Mirabel Ting (Asia-Pacific) beat Lottie Woad and Patience Rhodes (Europe) 3&2
SESSION 3: BONALLACK TROPHY FOURSOMES RESULTS – ASIA-PACIFIC 3 EUROPE 2
Thanawin Lee and Taishi Moto (Asia-Pacific) beat Filip Jakucik and Benjamin Reuter (Europe) 2-up
Joshua Bai and Zack Swanwick (Asia-Pacific) lost to Jose Luis Ballester and Pablo Ereno Perez (Europe) 2&1
Nguyen Anh Minh and Kartik Singh (Asia-Pacific) beat Algot Kleen and Arni Sveinsson (Europe) 4&2
Pichaksin Maichon and Zhou Ziqin (Asia-Pacific) beat Richard Teder and Lev Grinberg (Europe) 3&2
Hiroshi Tai and Enrique Dimayuga (Asia-Pacific) lost to Charlie Forster and Dominic Clemons (Europe) 4&2
