Europe take charge in Brunei

Holders Europe dominated Asia in the opening foursomes of the Royal Trophy in Brunei and ended the day with a 3.5-0.5 lead.

Stars of the show were Henrik Stenson and Gonzalo Fernandez-Castano, eight under par in beating Japanese star Ryo Ishikawa and South Korean Bae Sang-moon 5&4.

Italian brothers Edoardo and Francesco Molinari won the top game against China's Ashun Wu and Japan's Yoshinori Fujimoto 2&1, then Marcel Siem and Nicolas Colsaerts defeated Indian Jeev Milkha Singh and Thailand's Kiradech Aphibarnrat on the final green.

A whitewash was on the cards until playing-captain Jose Maria Olazabal and fellow Spaniard Miguel Angel Jimenez lost the final hole to Koreans YE Yang and KT Kim and had to settle for a half.

The match continues with four fourballs ton Saturday and then eight singles on Sunday.