AFP, Melbourne :
Thomas Pieters and Thomas Detry held off Mexico and a charging Australia to win Belgium’s first ever golf World Cup by three shots in a “dream comes true” Sunday. The pair began the final day of foursomes action, where teammates take it in turns to play the same ball, with a five-stroke lead at Melbourne’s Metropolitan Golf Club.
But Australia’s Mark Leishman and Cameron Smith narrowed the gap to two coming down the home straight with three birdies in a row, and Mexico’s Abraham Ancer and Roberto Diaz were also closing in.
In a tense finale, the Belgians restored a three-stroke lead with a birdie on the 16th but a nervy bogey on the next meant they had to keep their cool on the final hole. A perfect approach shot eased the pressure and they holed out for a closing 68 and a 23-under-par win, with Australia and Mexico joint second.
Danish defending champions Thorbjorn Olesen and Soren Kjeldsen carded a 65 to tie for fourth alongside Canada’s Adam Hadwin and Nick Taylor, six behind Belgium. Greece finished last from the 28 teams.
“It’s a dream come true to play it, let alone win it,” said Detry, 25, after pocketing the biggest cheque of his short two-year professional career.
“It was a huge thrill to play with Thomas (Pieters). We were on a college team (University of Illinois) together as amateurs in the US and we are great friends.”
The win earned the pair US$1.12 million each and a maiden World Cup crown for their country, although Ryder Cup player Flory Van Donck captured the individual title in 1960.