Second win for Bob MacIntyre in Hero Cup and Ewen Ferguson also remains unbeaten

Scottish duo Bob MacIntyre and Ewen Ferguson both contributed to Great Britain and Ireland staying just one point behind Continental Europe in the inaugural Hero Cup in Abu Dhabi.

Jordan Smith and Bob Macintyre celebrates after winning their morning foursomes on day two of the Hero Cup at Abu Dhabi Golf Club. Picture: Ross Kinnaird/Getty Images.

In the first of two foursomes sessions on Saturday, MacIntyre and Englishman Jordan Smith fought back from three down after just five holes to beat Adrian Meronk and Antoine Rozner by one hole.

MacIntyre, who’d already tasted victory alongside Irishman Seamus Power in the opening fourball session on Friday, holed out from a bunker for a birdie-2 at the short 12th.

The Oban man then produced another piece of short-game magic to secure a half at the 17th before holing from five feet for a birdie at the last then seeing Meronk miss from closer to the hole for a half.

Ewen Ferguson and Richard Mansell talk tactics on the 18th hole at Abu Dhabi Golf Club. Picture: Ross Kinnaird/Getty Images.

“It was massive as it was such a difficult shot,” said a smiling MacIntyre of his timely heroics at the 12th. “We’d done nothing wrong all day. Mike [Thomson, his caddie} said to me, ‘you are never dead’ and I suppose he was right.

“We both played unbelievable, even when we were down early. They were superb early on, but both our games gel tee to green and I am delighted with the way we finished.”

Concurring, Smith, who, like MacIntyre, is coached by Simon Shanks, added: “That was unreal. We really dug in and it was a great point.”

Earlier in the morning, Ferguson and Richard Mansell finished all square against Alex Noren and Thomas Pieters at the top of the order.

Helped by winning the opening two holes, the GB&I duo stormed into a four-hole lead before being gradually reeled in by their opponents.

Playing together again after securing a dogged half in the opening session, Ferguson and Mansell got their noses in front once more at the 17th but lost the last to a birdie 4.

“No, I don’t think so,” replied Ferguson to being asked if they’d have settled for a share of the spoils starting out given that Noren and Pieters are probably the star Continental Europe pairing after both playing in Ryder Cups. “We were up for it. We feel we are a good pairing and we were trying to win.”

Mansell, who led the Alfred Dunhill Links Championship after 54 holes last year, added: “Obviously they are two of their stronger players, but we played good yesterday and foursomes suits us. We got off to a great start. Did we get comfortable? Maybe a little bit. But they started to play better.”

As the second session was shared 2.5-2.5, Continental Europe captain Francesco Molinari and Nicolai Hojgard pulled off an amazing fightback.

Helped by a birdie-eagle-birdie-birdie start, Matt Wallace and Callum Shinkwin had stormed into an early three-hole lead, but, after winning three holes in a row around the turn, Molinari and Hojgaard went on to record a 3&1 victory.

Dundee-based Frenchman Victor Perez and Guido Migliozzi also won for Molinari’s men, beating the all-Irish duo of Power and Shane Lowry. But, in addition to MacIntyre and Smith, captain Tommy Fleetwood and Tyrrell Hatton also delivered a point for GB&I.

Ferguson and Mansell were paired together once more for the afternoon session, which saw MacIntyre reunited with Power.