The body language of the two Irish players involved in the inaugural Hero Cup – albeit a tournament that features many of the hallmarks of the old Seve Trophy, last played in 2013 – told its own story: Shane Lowry was a frustrated man; Séamus Power, his eyes concealed behind wraparound sunglasses, in contrast, was as content as they come.
Continental Europe took the initiative on the first day’s play at Abu Dhabi Golf Club in Khalifa City in the United Arab Emirates, establishing a 3-2 lead over Great Britain and Ireland after an opening session of fourballs, but with two sessions of foursomes on day two and a final day of 10 singles yet to come, it remained very much all to play for.
Power, currently number one on the PGA Tour’s FedEx Cup standings, was as calm and collected as anyone in teaming up with Robert MacIntyre for the most impressive of all fourball wins.
In defeating Sepp Straka and Adrian Meronk by a comprehensive 4 and 3 margin, the Irish-Scots duo produced a stunning 10 birdies to overwhelm their opponents.
Power remarked: “We played well. We made plenty of birdies, made some putts at key times; things that you have to do to win a fourball.”
Of hooking up with Power, MacIntyre said: “It was good. We only just met the other day when we played with Shane. I’ve got a connection with him, kind of same background, so it’s been fun. Scotsmen and Irishmen always get on well. It was overall a good day.”
Unfortunately for Lowry and Tommy Fleetwood, the playing captain of the GB&I team, it proved to be a rather more up-and-down affair. Trailing by one hole as early as the second and turning three down to Thomas Pieters and Alex Noren, Lowry and Fleetwood fought back to win the 10th, 14th and 15th to get back to all-square but failed to take that momentum into the final stretch.
Instead, the continentals sealed a one-hole win on the par-five 18th hole where Fleetwood’s tee-shot was pushed into a waste area and he could only lay up as he took a stance alongside cactus, while Lowry – from the middle of the fairway – pushed his three-wood approach into rough right of the green and then uncharacteristically failed to reach the green with his chip. Left with a 25 foot putt from off the green to secure a halved point, Lowry’s effort grazed the hole.
Continental Europe earned a 3-2 first day advantage after Pieters and Noren’s win over Lowry and Fleetwood in the top match was added to by a two holes win for Thomas Detry and Antoine Rozner over Tyrrell Hatton and Jordan Smith.
The other two matches were halved: all-English duo Callum Shinkwin and Matt Wallace shared the spoils with Victor Perez and Guido Migliozzi when winning the 18th while Ewen Ferguson and Richard Mansell also halved with Francesco Molinari and Nicolai Hojgaard.
“I think it was a good team performance on the first day. I know we would loved to have finished the day and been the right side of the scoreboard and been up,” said Fleetwood. “Unbelievable really that four matches go down the last. Just shows how close the teams are in terms of levels. I think in the end, to get out of that session 3-2, we’ll definitely go back to our team rooms feeling the better.”
