Belgium wins ISPS Handa Melbourne World Cup of Golf

Belgium wins ISPS Handa World Cup of Golf

(Image credit: Getty Images)

published 25 November 2018

The Belgium pairing of Thomas Detry and Thomas Pieters held off the Australian and Mexican teams to win the ISPS Handa Melbourne World Cup of Golf for Belgium.

Belgium wins ISPS Handa Melbourne World Cup of Golf

Thomas Detry and Thomas Pieters of Belgium carded a closing 68 to win the ISPS Handa World Cup of Golf by three from Marc Leishman and Cameron Smith representing Australia and Abraham Ancer and Roberto Diaz of Mexico.

The Belgians took a five-shot lead into the final round of foursomes but Leishman and Smith, playing in front of an enthusiastic home crowd, reduced the advantage to just two with just three holes to play.

Detry and Pieters kept their cool though and a couple of huge drives from Detry on the 16th and 18th holes at the Metropolitan GC in Melbourne set up birdies that allowed them to hold the pack at bay and win the World Cup of Golf for Belgium for the first time.

"It feels amazing, World Champions," said Detry. "It was always nice to have that big brother talking to you and calming you down. It's like you're playing a game against your buddy at home, I learned a lot thanks to him.”

Pieters added: "I'm super proud of him. That drive on 18 was unbelievable. I could see he was a bit nervous, I was nervous as well. To finish with a birdie tops it off. These putts on the back nine aren't easy, I know, and he made plenty of them. I told my mum and dad it's been a long time since I won and this feels as good as an individual title. I'm very, very happy."

Defending champions Thorbjorn Olesen and Soren Kjeldsen of Denmark closed with a fine 65 to climb into a tie for fourth place, six shots off the winners. Had it not been for a disappointing 77 in the difficult conditions of day two, they would have contended for the title once again. Denmark tied Canadian duo of Adam hadwin and Nick Taylor on 17-under-par.

ISPS Handa Melboune World Cup of Golf Metropolitan GC, Melbourne, Australia 22-25 November Purse: $7,000,000 Par: 72

1 Thomas Pieters (Bel) 63 71 63 68 265 Thomas Detry (Bel) T2 Marc Leishman (Aus) 62 76 65 65 268 Cameron Smith (Aus) T2 Abraham Ancer (Mex) 67 70 65 66 268 Roberto Diaz (Mex) T4 Thorbjorn Olesen (Den) 63 77 66 65 271 Soren Kjeldsen (Den) T4 Adam Hadwin (Can) 68 73 64 66 271 Nick Taylor (Can)

Note: Player name in bold signifies Titleist ball usage

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Fergus is Golf Monthly's resident expert on the history of the game and has written extensively on that subject. He has also worked with Golf Monthly to produce a podcast series. Called 18 Majors: The Golf History Show it offers new and in-depth perspectives on some of the most important moments in golf's long history. You can find all the details about it here.

He is a golf obsessive and 1-handicapper. Growing up in the North East of Scotland, golf runs through his veins and his passion for the sport was bolstered during his time at St Andrews university studying history. He went on to earn a post graduate diploma from the London School of Journalism. Fergus has worked for Golf Monthly since 2004 and has written two books on the game; "Great Golf Debates" together with Jezz Ellwood of Golf Monthly and the history section of "The Ultimate Golf Book" together with Neil Tappin , also of Golf Monthly.

Fergus once shanked a ball from just over Granny Clark's Wynd on the 18th of the Old Course that struck the St Andrews Golf Club and rebounded into the Valley of Sin, from where he saved par. Who says there's no golfing god?