ABU DHABI, United Arab Emirates — Nice Britain & Eire took a 3½-1½ lead over Continental Europe after the opening day’s fourballs on the Group Cup, an occasion giving European gamers a style of match-play golf they could expertise on the Ryder Cup in New York later this yr.
One of many factors earned for Nice Britain & Eire got here from Tyrrell Hatton and Tom McKibbin, a pairing comprising a present LIV Golf participant and somebody who may quickly be becoming a member of the breakaway Saudi circuit.
Hatton and McKibbin beat Antoine Rozner and Julien Guerrier, 3 and a pair of, whereas the pairing of Tommy Fleetwood and Aaron Rai was one other large winner for GB&I, defeating Italians Francesco Molinari and Matteo Manassero 4 and a pair of.
Molinari is the captain of Continental Europe, which gained the occasion in 2023 — when it was referred to as the Hero Cup — by a rating of 14½-10½.
Solely two of the 5 matches on Friday reached the 18th gap at Abu Dhabi Golf Resort. Jordan Smith and Laurie Canter halved the final gap to safe a 1-up win for GB&I over Rasmus Hojgaard and Rasmus Neergaard-Petersen, whereas Continental Europe pairing Thorbjorn Olesen and Niklas Norgaard had a tie with Matthew Jordan and Paul Waring.
The one win for Continental Europe was provided by Frenchmen Matthieu Pavon and Romain Langasque, who beat Justin Rose — Nice Britain & Eire’s captain — and Matt Wallace 3 and 1.
The occasion was previously referred to as The Seve Trophy and was performed eight instances from 2000-13, with GB&I successful six of these instances and Continental Europe twice.
Six of the 20 gamers and captains from the 2023 version wound up taking part in the Ryder Cup at Marco Simone exterior Rome, when Europe gained to reclaim the cup.
The subsequent Ryder Cup is at Bethpage Black in September.
