Fleetwood and Smith Impress as Britain and Ireland Dominate Team Cup

Tommy Fleetwood got the better of Francesco Molinari as Britain and Ireland dominated the opening day of the European Tour Team Cup in Abu Dhabi.

Tommy Fleetwood got the better of his old Ryder Cup teammate Francesco Molinari as Britain and Ireland took control of the European Tour's Team Cup in Abu Dhabi on Friday. The British and Irish team, led by captain Justin Rose, played in front of Europe's 2025 Ryder Cup captain Luke Donald.

Britain and Ireland took a 3.5-1.5 lead after the opening day against holders Continental Europe. The French pair Romain Langasque and Matthieu Pavon secured the first fourballs point for Continental Europe, defeating Justin Rose and Matt Wallace 3 and 1. However, the British and Irish team fought back, winning three of the next four matches.

Justin Rose expressed his satisfaction with the team's performance, highlighting the importance of a strong start. “I'm really pleased with that because some of the key messaging in and around the Ryder Cup is to get off to a fast start,” Rose said. The British and Irish captain, who is hoping to make his seventh Ryder Cup appearance, praised his team's resilience. “The team really rallied well.”

Jordan Smith and Laurie Canter of England secured a narrow one-up victory over Rasmus Hojgaard and Rasmus Neergaard-Petersen. This win contributed to Britain and Ireland's strong start in the Team Cup.

Tyrrell Hatton and Tom McKibbin had earlier leveled the overall score with a 3 and 2 win over Antoine Rozner and Julien Guerrier. Notably, McKibbin is reportedly set to join Hatton on the breakaway LIV Golf circuit.

Aaron Rai and Tommy Fleetwood appreciation post 😍#TeamCup https://t.co/OTIwGLtxQ6 pic.twitter.com/allflyQCCQ

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The match between Thorbjorn Olesen and Niklas Norgaard, and Matthew Jordan and Paul Waring, ended in a tie. However, the final match of the day saw Tommy Fleetwood and Aaron Rai of England defeat the Italian pairing of Francesco Molinari and Matteo Manassero.

This victory was notable given Molinari's past success alongside Fleetwood. As Molinari recalled, their partnership at the 2018 Ryder Cup, dubbed “Moliwood,” was a record-breaking one, with the pair winning all four of their matches together.