Shane Lowry and Europe fully focused on EurAsia Cup victory

Shane Lowry insists that Europe will be fully focused on EurAsia Cup victory and avoiding a potential upset when the tournament gets underway on Friday.

The WGC-Bridgestone Invitational champion is making a professional team golf debut this week as part of a 12-strong team in Malaysia, with Europe looking to win the tournament for the first time following a 10-10 draw in the inaugural event in 2014.

Lowry and his team-mates have the chance to impress captain Darren Clarke this week as they target a place in September's Ryder Cup team, although know they can't underestimate an Asian side considerably stronger than two years ago.

The Irishman is one of eight players in action at Glenmarie Golf & Country Club hoping to make a rookie appearance for Europe this autumn, but insists thoughts of Hazeltine will be put to the back of their minds during this week's tournament. 

"The EurAsia Cup is a great tournament in its own right, so we want to play as well as we can and we want to try and win on Sunday," Lowry said on Wednesday. "I'm pretty sure that the 12 of us will not be thinking anything about the Ryder Cup on Friday, Saturday and Sunday.

"We need to take this seriously and at the end of the day, we don't want to be going home Sunday evening with our tail between our legs and we want to go out there and play as best we can.

"It's a nice tournament to start the year, and hopefully we can start it well. It's always a lot of fun playing a team event, and we're having a great laugh in the team room. It's just a nice environment to be in."

Although Clarke's line-up this week boasts plenty of last year's European Tour winners and 10 players inside the world's top 60, the majority of the Northern Irishman's young side come to Malaysia with little in the way of professional team experience.

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Captain's picks Ian Poutler and Lee Westwood are the only two players in Clarke's team to have played in multiple Ryder Cups, but Westwood doesn't feel their inclusion leaves extra responsibility on their shoulders.

"I think all the lads that are playing this week are great players in their own right, and they really don't need much from me," Westwood said. "They have played on a big stage before, maybe not so much team golf, but I'm sure they have played a bit of team golf coming through the amateur ranks.

"Obviously when you're a captain's pick you feel a little bit more pressure to perform and validate that pick, but I've been a pick for the Ryder Cup a couple of times.

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"You're representing Europe, but you try to not let that thinking get in the way. You've just got to do your own thing, play your own game - the game that got you into the team - and hopefully that's good enough to win you some points."

Watch the EurAsia Cup throughout the week live on Sky Sports 4 - your home of golf