ABU DHABI, United Arab Emirates – Great Britain and Ireland took a 3½-1½ lead over mainland Europe after playing four balls on the opening day of the Team Cup, an event giving European players a taste of the match-play golf they can experience at the Ryder Cup in New York later this year.
One of the points scored for Great Britain and Ireland went to Tyrrell Hatton and Tom McKibbin, a pair consisting of a current LIV Golf player and someone who may soon join the breakaway Saudi circuit.
Hatton and McKibbin defeated Antoine Rozner and Julien Guerrier (3 and 2) and the pair of Tommy Fleetwood and Aaron Rai were another big winner for GB&I, beating Italians Francesco Molinari and Matteo Manassero 4 and 2.
Molinari is the captain of Continental Europe, which won the event in 2023 – when it was called the Heroes’ Cup – by a score of 14½-10½.
Only two of the five matches played on Friday reached the 18th. hole at Abu Dhabi Golf Resort. Jordan Smith and Laurie Canter halved the final hole to give GB&I a 1-up victory over Rasmus Hojgaard and Rasmus Neergaard-Petersen, while Continental Europe’s Thorbjorn Olesen and Niklas Norgaard tied with Matthew Jordan and Paul Waring.
The only victory for continental Europe was secured by Frenchmen Matthieu Pavon and Romain Langasque, who defeated Justin Rose – captain of Great Britain and Ireland – and Matt Wallace 3 and 1.
The event was previously called The Seve Trophy and was played eight times between 2000 and 2013, with GB&I winning six times and Continental Europe winning twice.
Six of the 20 players and captains of the 2023 edition played in the Ryder Cup at the Marco Simone Stadium near Rome, as Europe prevailed and regained the cup.
The next Ryder Cup will be held in Bethpage Black in September.
