FILE PHOTO: Belgium’s Thomas Pieters during the first round. Golf – European Tour – Alfred Dunhill Links Championship – Kingsbarns, Britain – October 4, 2018. Action Images via Reuters/Lee Smith/File Photo
MELBOURNE (Reuters) – Thomas Pieters and Thomas Detry won the $7 million World Cup of Golf by three strokes in Melbourne on Sunday to secure Belgium’s first title triumph in the team event.
Overnight leaders by five strokes, the young pair survived a late wobble in the final round foursomes at Metropolitan Golf Club, with a bogey on the 15th trimming their lead to two shots over Australia’s Marc Leishman and Cameron Smith.
However, they rebounded with a birdie on the 16th, which proved enough to keep the Australians at bay and give Pieters and Detry their biggest tournament win at the 28-nation event.
The Belgian duo’s final round four-under 68 left them with a 23-under total of 265, three clear of joint runners-up Australia (65) and Mexico (66).