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Asian golf has come of age

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Anirban Lahiri and Gaganjeet Bhullar, who between them won three of Team Asia's 10 points, summed up Asia's stunning performance beautifully.

Lahiri, who beat Dubuisson in singles a day after he and Siddikur had defeated Dubuission and Luiten in foursomes, said, "A lot of the people wrote us off after the first day. I was reading a lot in the media and on Twitter and Facebook and there was a lot of backlash. But I think all of us found that strength deep within us to come back and show that we are golfers as well. Everybody puts European golf up there and I think it's time Asian golf gets the credit it deserves."

Bhullar, who beat Olesen 4 & 3 in singles, added, "When we were walking off the 18th green today, we felt a great sense of achievement. Our results show how far we have come. There was a time when we used to say we were from Asia and they asked if we have a tour. With this performance, people will know that the next superstars are coming from the Asian Tour."

Yes, it was indeed the coming of age of Asian golf. A stunning tie with six wins in singles, where each of the Europeans was way ahead in terms of world ranking and achievements, will no doubt have raised many an eyebrow in European golf. One man more concerned than most others would be the 2014 Ryder Cup captain, Paul McGinley, who was at hand to see the inaugural EurAsia Cup presented by DRB-HICOM, as Asia rallied from a 0-5 deficit on Day One to reduce the margin by one on the second and finally catch on the final day with a 7-3 verdict in the singles.

Experience is something the European team had in abundance. And this was no mickey-mouse side with the lowest-ranked player being Olesen at No. 66, while the only Asian better than him was the Asian skipper Thongchai at No. 49. Only three of the Asians are in the top-100.

They may not admit, but it seemed mentally they had felt the trophy was good as theirs after the first day and even the second. And when the reds (Asians) started showing up prominently on the scoreboard they began to crack under pressure and the Asians, buoyed by Thongchai and former Asian star and now Asian Tour chairman Kyi Hla Han, were pushing themselves beyond the limits. And none exemplified that better than 23-year-old Nicholas Fung, who took the 50-year-old veteran of four Ryder Cups and winner of 20 European Tour titles, Miguel Angel Jimenez himself, who was in sparkling form the first two days.

With the EurAsia confirmed for 2016 and 2018 in Malaysia, Europe would do well to prepare for it as assiduously as they do for Ryder Cup or Seve Trophy. Asians are no longer pushovers.

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