The build up to the third staging of the EurAsia Cup presented by DRB-HICOM continued as Team Europe Captain Thomas Bjørn met the Prime Minister of Malaysia ahead of the tournament’s return to Glenmarie Golf and Country Club in Kuala Lumpur, from January 12-14, 2018.
Team Europe are set to defend the trophy they claimed in a comprehensive 18½-5½ win in the last edition of the biennial tournament in 2016, winning outright for the first time after the inaugural event ended in a 10-10 tie in 2014.
Bjørn and Arjun Atwal, Captain of Team Asia, will lead their respective 12-man teams in six fourball matches on Friday and six foursomes matches on Saturday, before 12 singles matches determine the winning team on Sunday.
“It was a fantastic honour to be in that office,” said Bjørn as he discussed meeting the Malaysian Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak alongside Tun Ahmad Sarji bin Abdul Hamid, Chairman of the Local Organising Committee, PGM.
In Kuala Lumpur catching up with Prime Minister Najib.
— Thomas Bjorn (@thomasbjorngolf) October 23, 2017
Great honour to meet you, Sir@EurAsiaCupGolf @EuropeanTour pic.twitter.com/gAZD5Q69fC
“I think that’s a sign of where golf takes you. It takes you to places where you never thought you would go. When you are 22, you are all about playing golf but once your career progresses, you realise that the game of golf reaches so many other things. It is a great platform to showcase some countries and what Malaysia is all about.
“I was fortunate to play in this event in 2014. It is a great golf course and it will create a nice atmosphere because you can get on a birdie run here.”
For Bjørn, it will be his first captaincy role since leading Continental Europe in the 2009 Seve Trophy and will provide ideal preparation in the lead up to The 2018 Ryder Cup in France in September.
For Atwal, an eight-time Asian Tour champion and three-time European Tour winner, it will be his first time in a captaincy role.
“Anytime you get this bestowed on you, you have to be grateful that players want you as captain and there’s a Tour that believes that you can be captain. It is a moment of reflection on your own career,” continued Bjørn.
“I think we are really in a strong position. A lot of players want to be part of team events and that’s why I feel that the EurAsia Cup has a great future.
“We need to have a strong team as there is no doubt we will face a strong Asian team.”
