Sunday 25 November 2018 09:39, UK
Thomas Pieters and Thomas Detry helped Belgium open up a five-shot lead heading into the final round of the ISPS Handa Melbourne World Cup of Golf.
The young pair fired a combined nine-under 63 in the fourballs at Metropolitan Golf Club to get to 19 under and build a sizeable lead over nearest challengers Mexico, Italy and South Korea.
English duo Tyrrell Hatton and Ian Poulter sit tied-fifth alongside Australia and Sweden, with Scotland and Ireland a further two strokes back on 11 under and in a share of eighth.
"We got off to a slow start again and then took advantage of the par-fives, which got us going," Detry said. "We're team-mates and so far it has been working."
Beginning the day in a share of the lead, Belgium opened with three straight pars before Pieters got up-and-down from a greenside bunker to birdie the fourth and made a two-putt gain at the seventh.
Pieters rolled in a six-footer at the eighth and Detry drained a long-range eagle at the next to see the pair turn in 31, with the lead extended after Pieters fired his approach close to the pin at the tenth.
Belgium's lead briefly cut to one until Pieters found the par-five 14th green in two and made a two-putt birdie, with Detry holing a 15-footer at the 15th and making another at the next to extend their advantage.
A final-hole bogey from Andrea Pavan and Renato Paratore slipped Italy back to 14 under, with Abraham Ancer and Roberto Diaz posting a birdie-free 65 and Souh Korea birdieing the final hole to also stay within five.
None of the 28 teams carded an over-par round on Saturday, with the format seeing play reverting back to foursomes for the final round.
Who will win the ISPS Handa World Cup of Golf? Watch the final round live on Sunday from 1am on Sky Sports Golf.
