HUA HIN, Thailand – Asia swept all four points in the fourballs on Saturday to build a 6-2 lead over Europe in the three-day Royal Trophy match play golf tournament.
Asia needs only 2½ points from the eight singles matches on Sunday to win at the Black Mountain Golf Club.
Locked at 2-2, Asia dominated the fourballs with Europe putting poorly.
The Thai-Japanese team of Thongchai Jaidee and Yuta Ikeda beat Peter Hanson and Frederik Andersson Hed of Sweden in the day's final game, leading by three strokes with one hole to play.
Ikeda, who won four Japan Tour titles in 2010, hit four birdies in the first nine holes and also had birdies on Nos. 10 and 11.
Ryo Ishikawa and Shunsuke Sonoda beat Italian teenager Matteo Manassero and Spain's Pablo Martin 3 and 2.
"We have good teamwork," Sonoda said. "If I missed, he (Ishikawa) didn't, and when he missed, I didn't."
Jeev Milkha Singh recovered from a back injury for a 1-up win with new partner Kim Kyung-tae of South Korea over Swedish pair Henrik Stenson and Johan Edfors in the only match that went to the last hole.
On the 17th Edfors missed a short putt, squandering a chance to even the match.
Liang Wenchong of China and Noh Seung-yul of South Korea remained unbeaten to defeat Europe's playing captain Colin Montgomerie and Rhys Davies of Wales 5 and 4.
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