The guys from Belgium looked pretty much untouchable after Saturday’s third round at the World Cup of Golf and on Sunday they shot 68 to win the giant trophy.
The two Toms — Pieters and Detry, finished with 68 for a 23-under total at the Metropolitan Club outside Melbourne.
The Belgium pair started with a five-shot lead and ended up winning by three over Mexico and the hometown Aussies. Abraham Ancer and Roberto Diaz shot 66 on the final day and tied at 20-under with Marc Leishman and Cameron Smith, whose 65 was the day’s best effort.
Matt Kuchar and Kyle Stanley finished with 68 and their nine-under total left them tied for 16th.
It was a huge pay-day for Pieters and Detry, each took home $1.12 million.
It was a long back nine” Pieters said while surrounded by family, friends and fans, some with Belgian flags stuck on their heads, just off the 18th green.
Pieters is from Antwerp and Detry from Brussels. Pieters says news of their win will likely “go very under the radar” in both cities. But he has hope for the future for golf in his soccer-dominated country. “Hopefully it will make the news, but it’s different in Belgium,” Pieters said. “Golf is very different than Australia or the U.S. It will get in the media and they’ll see us cool guys.”
