Mark a first for Danish golf.
Thorbjorn Olesen and Soren Kjeldsen didn’t let a slow start bother them Sunday in Melbourne as they heated up enough over the final nine holes to claim a first-ever World Cup title for Denmark.
“It’s difficult to describe my feelings,” Kjeldsen said after he and Olesen closed with a 66 that put them at a winning 20-under par number for the 72-hole event at Kingston Heath Golf Club in Melbourne. They finished where they started the final day — four shots better than their closest competition.
“We both came in this week in good form and we just gelled so well,” Kjeldsen added.
The Danes opened the door for the U.S. team of Rickie Fowler and Jimmy Walker, who played with the leaders in the final group. The Danes had a ho-hum even par front nine but Fowler and Walker failed to make a run. Six back nine birdies that featured five on the first six holes coming in sealed the deal for Denmark.
The U.S. would shoot 66 but that only got Fowler and Walker a tie for second with France and the surprise team of the event — the Chinese duo of Ashun Wu and Haotong Li. All three were at 16-under with Victor Dubuisson and Romain Langasque combining for a closing 63.
Alex Noren and David Lingmerth shot the day’s best score in the best-ball format — a 10-under par 62 that lifted them into solo fifth.
