The Hero Cup, played this past week in Abu Dhabi, was designed as something of a Ryder Cup audition/dress rehearsal for the European squad. Two 10-man teams representing Continental Europe and Ireland/Great Britain squared off in front of Ryder Cup Captain Luke Donald. Nothing definitive resulted from the three-day event, although Shane Lowry and Seamus Power have some rust to shake off.
The Continent notched a 14½-10½ victory over their counterparts from the northwest islands. Neither Lowry nor Power had much to offer; only Power helped score a point alongside Robert MacIntyre in Friday fourballs, while Lowry got shut out altogether.
Tommy Fleetwood, the playing captain for the GB&I side, juggled the lineup so as to give Donald different looks as to possible pairings come September. Lowry and Power were paired in Saturday morning foursomes but had their backs up against the wall as the tandem of Guido Migliozzi and Victory Perez jumped out to a 4 up lead after eight holes.
The Irishmen won their first hole of the match at the ninth, with the two sides alternating holes won through the 13th. Power and Lowry whittled the deficit to two holes at the 15th, but their rivals salted a 3 and 2 victory at the 16th.
Fleetwood attempted to build some momentum during Sunday singles play by top-loading the slate with the biggest guns. Lowry was out first, but again fell into a deep, early hole to Francesco Molinari, down three through four holes.
Lowry began to claw his way back, beginning at the seventh hole, taking that frame as well as the eighth and 11th to square the match. But that was as far as he could take it. Molinari won the 12thand 13th holes, and then clinched a 3 and 2 victory at the 16th.
As for Power, he won two of the first three holes against Nicolai Hojgaard, only to see that evaporate when the Dane won the final three holes on the front nine. Power got back to even at 13 but Hojgaard won the 16th and rode that lead to his ultimate triumph.
The action on the DP World Tour remains in Abu Dhabi this week as 72-hole stroke play resumes in the Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship. Lowry and Power will remain ensconced in the Middle East, where opposite ends of the age spectrum in the persons of Padraig Harrington and Tom McKibbin will touch down as part of a four-ply Irish threat.
