Sunday 25 November 2018 10:09, UK
Thomas Pieters and Thomas Detry held off a final-day charge from Australia to give Belgium a three-shot victory in the ISPS Handa Melbourne World Cup of Golf.
The Belgian duo posted a four-under 68 in the foursomes at Metropolitan Golf Club to get to 23 under and win the event for the first time.
Marc Leishman and Cameron Smith fired a joint-low round-of-the-day 65 to give the hosts a share of second spot alongside Mexico in Melbourne, with defending champions Denmark a further three strokes back in tied-fourth.
"We weren't far away in the football World Cup, so it's pretty good to bring it back!" Detry said. "It's not really something you put on the list, but when it happens, you qualify for it, you play for it, you play with your best mate and it's kind of a dream come true."
The Belgians saw their overnight five-shot lead cut to one when Detry missed from three feet to save par at the second, only him to nail a 20-foot eagle the par-five fourth.
Birdies at the seventh and ninth restored Belgium's cushion, only for Australia to follow a front-nine 32 with a hat-trick of gains from the 12th - including a hole-out from the bunker by Smith - to cut the lead to two.
A topsy-turvy back nine saw Belgium mix four birdies with three bogeys, with Pieters sticking his approach at the last to four feet to set up a final-hole gain for Detry to complete their victory.
England's Tyrrell Hatton and Ian Poulter finished eight strokes back in eighth spot after a two-under 70, three shots ahead of Irish pair Shane Lowry and Paul Dunne.
Scotland's Russell Knox and Martin Laird went round in 73 to finish tied 14th, while Wales' Bradley Dredge and Stuart Manley a further stroke back following a final-round 70.
