Japan overcame defeats to their star players Shigeki Maruyama and Shingo Katayama in the opening day's Foursomes to take a 3 ½ - 2 ½ lead over Asia in the Visa Dynasty Cup.
Captain Isao Aoki's strategy to throw his top guns into the opening two matches at Mission Hills Golf Club didn't pay off, with World Number 24 Maruyama and Keiichiro Fukabori losing 2 & 1 to the inspired Chinese combination of Zhang Liang-wei and Liang Wen-chong, who were never behind in the top match.
Katayama, fresh from a tied 33rd finish at the Masters, and Takashi Kamiyama fell to veteran Boonchu Ruangkit and Prayad Marksaeng 3 & 2 as the Thai duo wrapped up a point for Asia with three birdies on the trot from the 14th hole.
Japan picked up wins in two of the matches. Hideki Kase and Ryoken Kawagishi outclassed Thaworn Wiratchant and Thammanoon Srirot 5 & 4 while rising stars Tomohiro Kondo and late call-up Takuya Taniguchi, who replaced Toshi Izawa this week, romped to a 5 & 3 victory over Asian Tour Number One Thongchai Jaidee and Mardan Mamat.
Katsumasa Miyamoto and Hiroyuki Fujita held off a late rally from Jyoti Randhawa and Amandeep Johl to run off a 3 & 2 win before Asia pulled off a miraculous half point from Visa Dynasty Cup debutants Mo Joong-kyung and Angelo Que as Asia ended the day one point behind their Japanese rivals.
Que and Mo were two-down to Toru Suzuki and Tetsuji Hiratsuka with three holes remaining but the Asian duo produced gutsy birdies on the 16th and 17th holes to square the match. Filipino Que had a 15-foot birdie chance at the last hole for an improbable victory but agonisingly missed while Hiratsuka, playing here to honour his late father who died two days ago, holed a nervy six-footer for the half point.
Day One Results
Asia 2 ½ Japan 3 ½
Foursomes Results (Asian Team first)
Zhang Lian-wei/Liang Wen-chong bt
Shigeki Maruyama /Keiichiro Fukabori 2 & 1
Boonchu Ruangkit/Prayad Marksaeng bt
Shingo Katayama/Takashi Kamiyama 3 & 2
Thaworn Wiratchant/Thammanoon Srirot lost to
Hideki Kase/Ryoken Kawagishi 5 & 4
Thongchai Jaidee/Mardan Mamat lost to
Tomohiro Kondo/Takuya Taniguchi 5 & 3
Mo Joong-kyung/Angelo Que vs
Toru Suzuki/Tetsuji Hiratsuka All Square
Jyoti Randhawa/Amandeep Johl lost to
Katsumasa Miyamoto/Hiroyuki Fujita 3 & 2
Saturday's Fourball Draw (Asian Team first)
Boonchu Ruangkit/Prayad Marksaeng vs
Tomohiro Kondo/Takuya Taniguchi
Thongchai Jaidee/Mardan Mamat vs
Toru Suzuki/Tetsuji Hiratsuka
Zhang Lian-wei/Liang Wen-chong vs
Hideki Kase/Ryoken Kawagishi
Amandeep Johl/Thammanoon Srirot vs
Katsumasa Miyamoto/Hiroyuki Fujita
Mo Joong-kyung/Angelo Que vs
Shigeki Maruyama /Keiichiro Fukabori
Jyoti Randhawa/Thaworn Wiratchant vs
Shingo Katayama/Takashi Kamiyama
