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Dane duo's masterstroke

Kjeldsen, Olesen lift Denmark 
to their biggest triumph in golf

Thorbjorn Olesen and Soren Kjeldsen proved the perfect blend of flamboyant youth and wily experience as they completed a shock triumph for Denmark at the World Cup of Golf in Melbourne yesterday.

The pair displayed tremendous poise under pressure to hold off their challengers by four strokes to accomplish the biggest feat in Denmark's golfing history in the strokeplay team competition.

Denmark turned into the back nine at Kingston Heath with their four-shot overnight lead cut to just one, as a host of countries - including joint runners-up China, France and the US - queued up and waited for a stumble that never materialised.

The enigmatic 26-year-old Olesen and his 41-year-old partner Kjeldsen instead played flawless fourball (better ball) golf, as they made six birdies on the back nine to finish with a six-under 66 and a 20-under total of 268 to win handsomely for their first World Cup triumph.

When Olesen secured the historic trophy with a birdie on the 18th, he raised his fist to the crowd before embracing his teammate Kjeldsen, who was playing in his sixth World Cup.

GOOD FORM

"We both came in good form this week and then we've just gelled so well," Kjeldsen said, before the pair hoisted the giant World Cup trophy.

"We've had an incredible week here in Melbourne, and I think a friendship has been built as well."

The US$8 million ($11.3m) event featured two-man teams from 28 countries and represented the biggest victory of each player's career, with world No. 50 Kjeldsen and 70th-ranked Olesen both having won four times on the European Tour.

"It's been amazing, I love Australia," said Olesen, after seeing off the challenge of joint runners-up France, China and the US.

"I have won in Perth also, so I don't know what it is about Australia."

A nine-under round of 63 from Victor Dubuisson and Romain Langasque ensured France their highest finish in a World Cup.

A 65 from Wu Ashun and Li Haotong meant China came in on the same 16-under 272 mark as the US team of Rickie Fowler and Jimmy Walker, who carded a closing 66. 
- AFP.


FINAL SCORES

268: Denmark (Soren 
Kjeldsen/Thorbjorn Olesen) 72-60-70-66. 
272: France (Victor Dubuisson/Romain Langasque) 70-67-72-63, China (Wu Ashun/Li Haotong) 70-65-72-65, 
US (Rickie Fowler/Jimmy Walker) 70-67-69-66.
 273: Sweden (Alex Noren/David Lingmerth) 72-66-73-62.
 274: Italy (Francesco Molinari/Matteo Manassero) 71-66-73-64, Japan (Hideki Matsuyama/Ryo Ishikawa) 73-65-71-65.
 275: Spain (Rafa Cabrera Bello/Jon Rahm) 69-67-73-66.
 277: Australia (Adam Scott/Marc Leishman) 74-68-70-65, Ireland (Shane Lowry/Graeme McDowell) 72-69-70-66.

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