Narain's Asia-Pacific Warriors Savour Tense Success

La Manga, Murcia, Spain: Displaying skill, self-belief and resilience in abundance, Rishi Narain’s Asia-Pacific Golf Confederation (APGC) team dug deep into their reserves of stamina to pull off a famous Bonallack Trophy victory at the La Manga Resort.

While the region’s men were celebrating a stunning, nerve-jangling 17-15 win, Liz McKinnon’s women’s team were left to contemplate what might have been after going down 13-19 to their European Golf Association (EGA) rivals in the Patsy Hankins Trophy.

“It’s been a truly memorable week. The quality of golf has been outstanding and the matches have been played in a fabulous spirit,” said APGC Chairman Taimur Hassan Amin.

Ahead 12½-7½ following two gruelling days of foursomes and fourballs in the searing sun over the South Course at La Manga, the men survived a concerted European fightback before claiming their fourth victory in what was the 11th edition of the event that mirrors the Ryder Cup format.

Needing 3½ points from the 12 singles to retain the trophy and four to win outright, for much of the day Asia-Pacific looked like they might be on the end of a comeback to match Europe’s Miracle at Medinah in the 2012 Ryder Cup.

However, with the outcome hanging tantalisingly in the balance, Koreans Cho Woo-young and Jang Yu-bin steadied the ship for Asia-Pacific with crucial wins.

When Australian Jack Buchanan completed a 2&1 success on the 17th green, Asia-Pacific required just another half-point with Vietnam’s Nguyen Anh Minh and Japan’s Yuta Sugiura both still on the course and all square with their opponents.

Playing the par-five 18th, it was 16-year-old Minh, the first Vietnamese to represent the Asia-Pacific in the Bonallack Trophy, who ensured the trophy was retained when he halved the last hole and the match with Spaniard Luis Masaveu.

Some 15 minutes later the celebrations began in earnest when Sugiura pipped England’s Barclay Brown with a birdie on 18 to win one-up. His team-mates ran onto the green to celebrate with him, Amin, APGC Championship Committee Chairman John Hopkins and APGC Tournament Director Nick Shan.

This was just the second time since the event’s inauguration in 1998 that Asia-Pacific has won the Bonallack Trophy on European soil, the only other occasion being in 2004 at Italy’s Circolo Golf Roma.

Asia-Pacific’s two other successes came at Japan’s Hirono Golf Club in 2002 and Doha Golf Club in 2018, the last time the event was staged.

“Congratulations to all members of the Asia-Pacific team who gelled so well. The team spirit has been incredible and I’m immensely proud to have been able to captain such a talented group of players,” said Narain, whose team comprised two players from Australia, Japan, Korea and New Zealand and one each from China, Chinese Taipei, Malaysia and Vietnam.

“I’m sure that many of our team will go on to achieve great success in the ranks of the professionals and we’re all looking forward to following their progress in the months and years ahead. I’m sure also that they’ll remember this Bonallack Trophy experience for the rest of their lives and savour the friendships they’ve forged.”

Narain had hoped that his top four would provide the impetus to build a stress-free success. But it did not turn out that way.

In the top match, Australian Harrison Crowe, the reigning Asia-Pacific Amateur Championship winner, was one-up against Herman Sekne after 16. But the Norwegian won the 17th to square the match then secured victory with an eagle at 18.

When Chinese Taipei's Lin Chuan-tai, Japan's Taichiro Idehira and China's Sampson Zheng Yunghe were defeated in matches two, three and four, the alarm bells began ringing.      

With New Zealanders Joshua Bai, a finalist in the US Junior Amateur last Sunday, and Mako Thompson and Malaysian Malcolm Ting also suffering losses, a tense finish was guaranteed. 

But Buchanan, Anh Minh and Sugiura held firm under intense pressure to see Asia-Pacific across the line.

In the third staging of the Patsy Hankins, it was the first time that an Asia-Pacific team suffered defeat.

The result was especially harsh on Australian standout Maddison Hinson-Tolchard who had the distinction of winning all five of her matches.

From an Asia-Pacific perspective, the outstanding performance of the day came from Korean Park Ye-ji who was simply unstoppable. Poor Savannah De Bock of Belgium could do nothing to stem the tide as Park snared seven birdies on the front nine and closed out the match 8&6.

To have a realistic chance of winning, the Asia-Pacific needed a fast start, but Singapore’s Shannon Tan, Japan’s Nanako Inagaki and Indonesian Elaine Widjaja were all soundly beaten in the top three games.

Victories for Hinson-Tolchard, Park and Kim Min-sol were not enough for the visitors.

BONALLACK TROPHY SINGLES RESULTS

Asia-Pacific 4½ Europe 7½

Harrison Crowe (Australia) lost to Herman Sekne (Norway) 1-down

Lin Chuan-tai (Chinese Taipei) lost to Albert Hansson (Sweden) 2&1

Taichiro Ideriha (Japan) lost to John Gough (England) 2&1

Sampson Zheng Yunhe (China) lost to Alex Maguire (Ireland) 5&3

Cho Woo-young (Korea) beat Nicola Gerhardsen (Switzerland) 5&4

Joshua Bai (New Zealand) lost to Tiger Christensen (Germany) 3&1

Jang Yubin (Korea) beat Tobias Jonsson (Sweden) 2&1

Nguyen Anh Minh (Vietnam) halved with Luis Masaveu (Spain)

Jack Buchanan (Australia) beat James Ashfield (Wales) 2&1

Yuta Sugiura (Japan) beat Barclay Brown (England) 1-up

Malcolm Ting (Malaysia) lost to Frederik Kjettrup (Denmark) 4&2

Mako Thompson (New Zealand) lost to Michael Mjaaseth (Norway) 6&5

Final score: Asia-Pacific 17 Europe 15 

PATSY HANKINS TROPHY SINGLES RESULTS

Asia-Pacific 4 Europe 8

Shannon Tan (Singapore) lost to Rocio Tejedo (Spain) 5&4

Nanako Inagaki (Japan) lost to Meja Örtengren (Sweden) 3&2

Elaine Widjaja (Indonesia) lost to Kajsa Arwefjall (Sweden) 2&1

Kim Min-sol (Korea) beat Patricie Mackova (Czech Republic) 3&2

Avani Prashanth (India) lost to Celina Rosa Sattelkau (Germany) 1-down

Mizuki Hashimoto (Japan) lost to Helen Briem (Germany) 3&2

Fiona Xu (New Zealand) lost to Patience Rhodes (England) 3&2

Park Ye-ji (Korea) beat Savannah De Bock (Belgium) 8&6

Caitlin Peirce (Australia) lost to Francesca Fiorellini (Italy) 4&3

Rina Tatematsu (Thailand) halved with Beth Coulter (Ireland)

Huang Ting-hsuan (Chinese Taipei) halved with Lottie Woad (England)

Maddison Hinson-Tolchard (Australia) beat Cayetana Fernandez Garcia-Poggio (Spain) 1-up

Final score: Asia-Pacific 13 Europe 19