2007 Royal Trophy - Day 1: Seve pleased with first day's Royal result

The Spaniard's European team lead Asia by three points after the opening day's foursomes in the annual eight-man team competition and the former Masters winner was delighted with the early advantage.

He said: "I predicted yesterday we would lead 3-1 and it's even better, 3.5-0.5. "I'm happy with the way my players played today.

"Foursomes is always a difficult format because it's very difficult to pick up your rhythm and momentum but everything went fantastic for the European team."

Swedish duo Henrik Stenson and Johan Edfors were the pick of the European team as they brushed off the challenge of Thailand's Prom Meesawat and his Japanese partner Tetsuji Hiratsuka with a 6&5 win.

Starting in the day's third match, Stenson and Edfors raced into a three-hole lead by the fourth hole and were never seriously challenged by the Asians, with 22-year-old Meesawat struggling to keep his nerves in check.

But it was Ryder Cup pairing and close friends Darren Clarke and Lee Westwood who put the first points on the board, defeating Korea's SK Ho and Japanese golfer Toru Taniguchi in the opening game 4&3 to give Ballesteros' team the perfect start.

And with the team's other Swedish duo - Robert Karlsson and Niclas Fasth - disposing of Thai pair Thongchai Jaidee and Thaworn Wiratchant, it was left to Asian number one Jeeva Milkha Singh and his playing partner YE Yang to salvage some pride for the home side.

Despite trailing Paul McGinley and Anthony Wall by two holes with three to play, the Asians managed to split the points with the Europeans with two birdies in the final stretch, with Wall missing a seven-foot putt at the last to lose the hole.

But it came as little consolation to Asian captain Joe Ozaki, who felt his team lacked the know-how necessary to compete in the foursomes section of the competition.

Ozaki explained: "The European players have more experience and confidence in foursomes golf.

"We may have a lack of experience but I think my boys learned a lot of good lessons today."

Ballesteros used an incident during Singh and Yang's match with Wall and McGinley to illustrate the difference in the mental approach of the two teams.

He said: "My players have the experience of the Ryder Cup and of last year's Royal Trophy.

"At the seventh hole we were in the bunker and they were comfortably on the green but we won the hole and that was down to a lack of experience because they lost their focus.

"But they can learn from that and tomorrow things can be different."

Friday sees the teams face off in the four-ball format with Ballesteros keeping the same pairings as on the first day.

Clarke and Westwood will take on Jaidee and Meesawat in the opening game before Wall and McGinley face Hiratsuka and Wiratchant.

Sweden's Edfors and Stenson meet Yang and Taniguchi while Karlsson and Fasth take the fourth berth again, this time playing Singh and Ho.

January 12, 2007