Saturday 26 November 2016 08:44, UK
Soren Kjeldsen and Thorbjorn Olesen combined for a stunning round of 60 which propelled Denmark into a three-shot lead at the halfway stage of the World Cup of Golf.
Kjeldsen and Olesen defied the blustery conditions at Kingston Heath in Melbourne as they carded two eagles and eight birdies in a flawless day in the second-round fourballs format, opening up clear daylight at the top of the leaderboard on 12 under par.
English pair Chris Wood and Andy Sullivan are five shots off the pace after a solid 66 lifted them to seven under alongside pre-tournament favourites the United States, with Rickie Fowler and Jimmy Walker firing 67.
But the second day belonged to Denmark, with Kjeldsen getting them up and running when he holed his approach to the third for an amazing eagle, and he also birdied the next before Olesen clipped a wedge to six inches at the fifth and tapped in for another gain.
Olesen then pitched in for another unlikely eagle at the eighth as the red-hot Danes turned in 29, and they reeled off five consecutive birdies from the 10th to threaten the tournament record of 57.
Three pars from the 15th ended that quest, but Kjeldsen converted another superb approach to the last for a closing birdie which took them three ahead of the Chinese pairing of Ashun Wu and Li Haotong.
"To be honest, I was thinking a little bit about that 59 with the last two holes to go but 60 was a great score," said Olesen. "Soren got it going with holing that second shot and then I chipped in for eagle also. Combined we were very good."
Kjeldsen added: "I was just trying to play solid. Thorbjorn was playing exceptional so I thought if I get it in play and get it on the green, let him do all the fireworks and it worked pretty well.
"I think game-wise we're very different. Thorbjorn's very flashy, he hits it very far from the tee and overall has just got an amazing game, where I'm like a train, I arrive on time but without too much of the flashy stuff!"
Wu and Li, both winners on the European Tour this season, also kept a bogey off their card in a seven-birdie 65 which featured two huge putts on the second and third greens, while overnight leaders Rafa Cabrera Bello and Jon Rahm of Spain recovered from a bogey at the third to fire a 67 and reclaim third place on eight under.
Wood and Sullivan made a quiet start and birdied the two par threes on the front nine, but they hit their stride after the turn with three birdies in four holes from the 11th and another at 17 got them to seven under.
The Ryder Cup team-mates share fourth with the United States and Italy, with Francesco Molinari and Matteo Manassero carding an eagle and four birdies over the last six holes in their 66, while France joined the group at seven under after a 67 which included five straight birdies around the turn for Victor Dubuisson and Romain Langasque.
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