• Royal Trophy

Olazabal disappointed after slow start for Team Europe

Quiros putts out at the stunning sixth green © Getty Images

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Jose Maria Olazabal's Europe side head into day two of the Royal Trophy 3-1 down to Asia after the hosts dominated in the opening-day foursomes.

Thongchai Jaidee and Kiradech Aphibarnrat, Asia's highest-ranked players in the team, set the tone at Dragon Lake Golf Club by thrashing Scottish pair Paul Lawrie and Stephen Gallacher 5&3.

The Thai duo were four-up inside six holes and wrapped up the win when Aphibarnrat rolled home a 40-foot putt for eagle at the 14th.

Ryo Ishikawa and Hiroyuki Fujita extended the lead with a 3&2 win over Belgian Ryder Cup star Nicolas Colsaerts and Austrian Bernd Wiesberger.

The Japanese players were also quick out the blocks, taking a three hole lead at the fourth and maintained the lead throughout.

In the next group, Koreans KT Kim and Kim Hyung-Sung combined to secure a 4&2 victory over Spaniard Alvaro Quiros and Dane Thorbjorn Olesen.

Hyung-Sung holed out from 150 yards at the fourth for an eagle from then on the European pair were not in the match.

The visitors did pull one back late on when David Howell and Marc Warren claimed a 2&1 victory over Chinese pair Liang Wenchong and Wu Ashun.

Level until the seventh, Scot Warren holed out from a plugged lie in a bunker at the par-5 eighth and went on to win the next two holes before cruising through the back-nine.

But European captain Jose Maria Olazabal admitted he was disappointed.

"It was a bad day for us. We didn't expect that start," he said. "Now we have to be spot-on for the last two days - that's our goal. We have to play aggressively and go for it. We do not have much room to manoeuvre."

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