Denmark storm into the lead with thrilling 12-under 60: World Cup of Golf video highlights
Eight birdies and two eagles sent Denmark’s Thorbjorn Olesen and Soren Kjeldsen’s to the top of the leaderboard going into the weekend at the World Cup of Golf in Melbourne.
Denmark have stormed into the lead at the World Cup of Golf after a scintillating second round that saw Thorbjorn Olesen and Soren Kjeldsen combine for a score of 12-under par 60 and finish three strokes ahead of their nearest rival China.
Denmark’s round included eight birdies and two eagles that sets the country up for a shot at its first-ever World Cup of Golf victory in its 63-year history.
“I suppose I think temperament-wise, I don’t think we’re that different,” Kjeldsen said after the round.
“I think game-wise we’re very different. Thorbjorn’s very flashy, he hits it very far from the tee and overall just got an amazing game, where I’m sort of, you know, I’m sort of the–I’m like a train, I arrive on time but without too much of the flashy stuff.”
The closest any Danish team has been to winning the World Cup of Golf trophy was when they were beaten in a four-team playoff by South Africa in Japan in 2001.
“Thomas [Bjorn] and Soren [Hansen] has been very close to winning World Cup, so it would obviously be an amazing experience to stand there some day and win a trophy,” Olesen added.
The Australian duo of Adam Scott and Marc Leishman had another difficult day at Kingston Heath. Admitting after the round that they are struggling to adjust to the softer than normal conditions they expected at Kingston Heath they finished the day at -2, nine shots behind Denmark.
“It’s just hard when you’re so used to landing it short on certain holes and bouncing it up and then all of a sudden you’re landing it short and it’s spinning backwards,” Leishman said.
“I guess it’s a little frustrating in that respect, but we’re professional golfers and we need to adjust to that sort of thing.”
The Team China pairing of Wu Ashun and Haotong Li have been the surprise packet so far this week.
Clearly unfazed playing alongside the more fancied American team of Jimmy Walker and Rickie Fowler, at one stage Team China had a share of the lead courtesy of three consecutive birdies early in the round.
Just a tap-in. #QuickHits https://t.co/4Zk1Dikl14
— PGA TOUR (@PGATOUR) November 25, 2016
Three more birdies on the back nine and Wu and Li have put Team China into a surprisingly good position to win their first World Cup of Golf trophy since 1972.
The Americans took a little longer to get their game going. Fowler made a bomb at the 8th hole to keep pace with the Chinese playing partners but three birdies in four holes on the back nine, including this fabulous putt from off the back of the 15th green saw Team USA storm back up the leaderboard.
Here come the Americans! 🇺🇸#QuickHits https://t.co/RccIbUw8gT
— PGA TOUR (@PGATOUR) November 25, 2016
But it was the Olesen and Kjeldsen that had everyone talking about Team Denmark who bagged two eagles on the front nine and then ran off five consecutive birdies after the turn to at one stage take a four-stroke lead.
The first came when Kjeldsen holed out at the par-4 third hole…
This eagle 2 from Soren Kjeldsen #TeamDEN was the obvious choice for @DrummondGolf Shot of the Day https://t.co/jMfkNzcVY4
— 7Golf 🏌 (@7golf) November 25, 2016
And the second when Thorbjorn carded eagle at the 8th…
Two eagles in eight holes.
Denmark is making moves. 🇩🇰 https://t.co/RwN33rHdRl
— PGA TOUR (@PGATOUR) November 25, 2016
Before the week started few doubted the form and skill from the two players representing Denmark this week; Soren Kjeldsen and Thorbjorn Olesen. But somehow they slipped under the radar behind the bigger name teams of USA and Australia.
Kjeldsen finished with two top-10 finishes at the majors in 2016 at the two majors that most closely resemble the style of golf at Kingston Heath; The Masters and The Open Championship.
Olesen had a rough year until turning his form around with a victory at the Turkish Airlines Open just three weeks ago.
Few golf experts would have them off the radar now and look right at home at Kingston Heath going into the weekend as they aim to capture the first ever win for Denmark at the World Cup of Golf.
“I was thinking a little bit about 59” – Fair enough from #TeamDEN https://t.co/tAAuDGmkl8
— 7Golf 🏌 (@7golf) November 25, 2016