Olazabal optimistic in China

Europe’s former Ryder Cup captain Jose Maria Olazabal is hoping it will be third time lucky in this week’s Royal Trophy against an Asian team led by YE Yang.

Jose Maria Olazabal hoping to complete a captain’s full set Jose Maria Olazabal hoping to complete a captain’s full set “I take the captaincy very seriously and the Royal Trophy is very special to me because my dear friend Seve Ballesteros asked me to take over from him as the team leader in 2009.

Olazabal also skippered his European team to victory in this year’s Seve Trophy at Golf de Saint-Nom-la-Breteche in France against Great Britain and Ireland in October.

Yang, meanwhile, Asia’s sole major winner following his victory at the 2009 US PGA Championship, is confident his side can retain the Royal Trophy for the first time, although he conceded that the late withdrawal of Japan’s Hideki Matsuyama through injury was a blow.