EurAsia win won't lull Thomas Bjorn into Ryder Cup complacency

Let's not been fooled into thinking the EurAsia Cup means much when it comes to the one that really matters '“ the Ryder Cup. After all, following a thumping win in the former two years ago, Europe then suffered its heaviest defeat in the latter in more than 30 years

Europe's Ryder Cup team needs a player like Ian Poulter. Picture: Getty.

Hence why Thomas Bjorn, the captain, won’t get carried away by Europe lifting the EurAsia Cup again, even though he would have been delighted to see his players dig deep on the final day in Malaysia to win the singles convincingly.

Europe will need to be firing on all cylinders from the off at Le Golf National in Paris in September as they try to reclaim the Ryder Cup against a young and confident American team, having paid a heavy price for suffering a whitewash in the opening session at Hazeltine last time around.

Of those involved in Kuala Lumpur, Tommy Fleetwood, Henrik Stenson, Paul Casey and Tyrrell Hatton seem certainties for France, where Rory McIlroy, Sergio Garcia, Justin Rose and Jon Rahm will definitely be in the home ranks.

That would leave four spots up for grabs, with Thomas Pieters’ experience at Hazeltine surely a 
factor in his favour if the Belgian needs a pick, while it would be a big surprise if the equally talented Matt Fitzpatrick wasn’t among the boys in blue in Paris.

I’d like to see Francesco Molinari, a member of winning line-ups in both 2010 and 2012, back in that team and the same goes for Ian Poulter, pictured, because Europe will need someone like him to provide a little bit of spark, just as Patrick Reed did for the Americans two years ago.