Beau Champ, Mauritius, November 30: Kurt Kitayama of the United States shot his second seven-under-par 65 in two days to take control at the halfway stage of the AfrAsia Bank Mauritius Open on Friday.

The 25-year-old started where he left off, making a birdie on hole one. However, he dropped shots for the first time in the tournament, making a double-bogey at the par-five second.

Undeterred, Kitayama displayed plenty of resolve and skill to came back with four consecutive birdies in his subsequent four holes at the Four Seasons Golf Club, Mauritius at Anahita.

Kitayama, who is enjoying a successful season on the Asian Tour after making the mark at this year’s Qualifying School, sunk four more birdies on his inward nine before signing for a 13-under-par 130 total at the event, tri-sanctioned by the Asian Tour, European Tour and the Sunshine Tour.

Chikkarangappa S. of India

India’s Chikkarangappa S. is two shots behind after ending his day with a 68. The wheels seemed to have fallen off for the 25-year-old Indian after consecutive bogeys on holes 14 and 15. However, he made a fantastic recovery after the turn by sinking five birdies in a row from holes one to five. Another birdie on nine put him in lone second going into the weekend rounds.

Frenchmen Victor Perez and Matthieu Pavon shot 69 and 66 respectively to keep up the pace. They are three shots behind the leader, in tied-third.

Justin Harding made the cut for the first time at the AfrAsia BankMauritius Open. The South African hit some wild drives on his first 10 holes that led to three bogeys, but he managed to haul himself back into contention with four consecutive birdies from holes two to five.

Harding finished the second day in tied-seventh, and he has an excellent opportunity to close the gap on leader Shubhankar Sharma in the Asian Tour Habitat for Humanity Standings race.

Did you know:

• Kurt Kitayama earned his Asian Tour this year via Qualifying School with a third-place finish. Tour cards are given to golfers within the top-35 and ties.
• He was 1121st on the Official World Golf Ranking (OWGR) at the end of 2017. He is currently ranked 362nd after his fine performances on the Asian Development Tour (ADT) and Asian Tour.
• Kitayama has yet to miss a cut and he has three top-10s on the Asian Tour this season. He is 20th on the Habitat for Humanity Standings and has virtually secured a Tour card for next season.
• Chikkarangappa S. left the 2016 AfrAsia Bank Mauritius Open in tears. He was first reserve for the tournament but had to leave for home as he could not get the final spot.
• He won the TAKE Solutions India Masters, an event on the Asian Development Tour, in 2014 and 2015.
• He will be looking to improve on his best result on the Asian Tour this season, a ninth-place finish at the TAKE Solutions Masters, here in Mauritius.
• Victor Perez is a two-time winner on the Challenge Tour.
• Justin Harding has never made the cut at his previous three AfrAsia Bank Mauritius Open tournaments.
• He is enjoying one of his best seasons as a professional golfer. Currently, he is placed third on the Asian Tour Habitat for Humanity Standings and first on the Sunshine Tour Order of Merit.
• He earned a spot at this year’s PGA Championship after breaking into the top-100 of the Official World Golf Ranking (OWGR) following his Royal Cup victory.

Kurt Kitayama (Usa) – Second round 65 (-7), total 130 (-14)

I started with a birdie and then just had a little blunder on two. I got back on track straight right after, so it was nice to bounce back after a double.

It was just a little pitching wedge on 17, hit it to about five or six feet and made that putt. I hit a good drive on 18, so that was short iron in and a two putt. Those were two stress-free birdies.

I’m driving it well which is making it a lot easier. It’s a pretty big advantage to be able to hit shorter irons in. I’m feeling pretty comfortable. I’ll stay the same over the weekend, still be aggressive. It’s gone well so far so don’t want to switch things up too much.

I’m just focusing on this little stretch to end 2018 and then regroup at the end of the year and see what I’m thinking about for the future. It’s just trusting the process. Coming from the end of the Web.com season and transitioning to the Asian Tour. I’ve been making some changes, it’s a whole process and it’s starting to pay off.

Chikkarangappa S. (Ind) – Second round 68 (-4), total 132 (-12)

I started the round well; a par followed by a birdie. I just got a bit of bad luck on holes 14 and 15, where my ball got plugged in the bunker. I told myself to hit more fairways and give myself birdie opportunities, and that was what I did from hole one.

I birdied the first hole and made birdies until hole five. That was an important run for me to get back to where I was yesterday.  I putted really well. Made some solid putts on four and five. There were some tough lines and I was able to read them. Overall, it was a good front nine (holes one to nine).

It was pretty warm out there but you’re on the ocean side, the cool breeze would come in but if you’re in the middle of the course, it can get hotter but I guess, I’m used to it. I’ve just got to hydrate myself.

I’m looking at making my card look red. That’s the goal for this week.

Previously, I didn’t have that confidence in my golf swing, so I had to make adjustments. I managed to do that. I was also thinking too much and I didn’t swing the way I wanted. I tweaked my swing about seven weeks back and now I feel solid about it. The last time I felt like this was about one and a half years back at the Macao Open. Since then, I’ve struggled. Looking forward, I’ve got to stay patient and just keep working on my game.

Victor Perez (Fra) – Second round 69 (-3), total 133 (-11)

I thought it was quite nice to bounce back after the bogey at the second. Going off at 7 am with no wind and really ideal conditions and the two par fives at the second and the fourth, you’re hoping to get off to a good start.

I wasn’t able to do that, but I was able to grind through it, stay patient, make some pars. The birdies at nine and ten got the round going and then two more birdies on the back nine and especially the birdie on nine was nice to finish with.

It was definitely nice to back up the performance of yesterday with another solid round. Only one dropped shot early which could have been avoided but I don’t think I was really in trouble, except at the 11th where I could have dropped a shot and I was able to make a nice par save. Definitely pleased moving into the weekend.

I feel like the conditions are ideal. It’s not windy, it’s warm, the ball is travelling quite far. It helps some of those missed shots a little bit to still carry and get the distance.

You’re trying to give yourself some opportunities but I think some of the missed shots are penalised less than if it was a little bit worse condition.

Justin Harding (Rsa) – Second round 69 (-3), total 136 (-8)

It was one of those days when I was coming out and swinging badly. I didn’t hit it very good for the first 10 holes or so. Amazingly, I missed fairways and these fairways are hard to miss at times. But, I’m happy with the result. I said to my caddy that it has been a bigger grind than what I expected at the start of the day. I made a few of birdies in the back nine, and I played my way back to the tournament.

Chipped from the back on the green on hole two, which lipped out. That was a good one. I hit it close, about 10 feet on three. I hit a driver off the deck on four that went to the green. I felt that I should be more under par than I should have been.

Silly three putt on seven. The greens were a little slower compared to yesterday. I don’t like three-putting, it annoys me badly. I had a birdie on the ninth and now I can enjoy lunch.

It’s a good day. I am happy to grind out a sub 70. I’m still in the tournament, doing what I’ve been doing all season long.

This is my first cut made out of four tournaments! It’s a bonus. This time, I can enjoy the tournament on the golf course and not so much on the beach.

Beau Champ, Mauritius, November 29: India’s Chikkarangappa S. shot one of the best rounds of his professional career, carding an eight-under-par 64 to grab a share of the lead at the AfrAsia Bank Mauritius Open on Thursday.

The 25-year-old was brilliant from tee to green throughout the day, which led to a bogey-free round at the Four Seasons Golf Club, Mauritius at Anahita.

Chikkarangappa’s confidence is sky-high after making adjustments to his swing. The Indian golfer, who was victorious at an event on his local circuit recently, is determined to end his season on a high by winning the AfrAsia Bank Mauritius Open, or one of the remaining tournaments on the Asian Tour schedule.

Also in tied-first is France’s Victor Perez. He enjoyed a near flawless round, trading nine birdies against a lone bogey.

Kurt Kitayama of the United States, Masahiro Kawamura of Japan and Jaco Van Zyl of South Africa are one shot behind the leaders in tied-third.

Sweden’s Malcolm Kokocinski, who won on the Asian Tour for the first time this season, is also right in the mix after carding a 67 to finish the day in tied-sixth.

Justin Harding of South Africa continued his resplendent form this season and signed for a 67. Harding, third on the Asian Tour Habitat for Humanity Standings, got away with a bogey on the 16th after a wayward drive. He left the golf course with a broad smile on his face after chipping in for eagle on the 18th.

Did you know:

• Chikkarangappa S. is a two-time winner on the Asian Development Tour (ADT), the feeder tour to the Asian Tour.
• He was the number one golfer on the Professional Golf Tour of India (PGTI) in 2015.
• He secured an Asian Tour card for the 2018 season last year on the number.
• Chikkarangappa S. had humble beginnings, working as a ball boy and earning US$1 a day.
• Kurt Kitayama’s first foray into the Asian Tour has led to three top-10s. He is currently 20th on the Asian Tour Habitat for Humanity Standings.
• Masahiro Kawamura made his The Open debut this year.
• Malcolm Kokocinski was leading the Asian Development Tour (ADT) Order of Merit before his breakthrough victory at the Bangladesh Open this year.
• He seemed to have turned his season around in Mauritius. After his victory in Bangladesh, the Swede has yet to secure a top-10 finish.
• Justin Harding is one of the Asian Tour’s best performers this season, evident from his third-placing on the Asian Tour Habitat for Humanity Standings. He is also the leader on the Sunshine Tour Order of Merit.
• He won the Bank BRI Indonesia Open and followed by the Royal Cup two weeks later. With that, became the first golfer in Tour history to win twice in his first two starts.
• Following his Royal Cup win, he broke into the top-100 on the Official World Golf Ranking (OWGR) and earned a spot at the PGA Championship.

Players’ Quotes

Chikkarangappa S. (Ind) – First round 64 (-8)

It was a “dream come true” round today. I hit the ball great, putted really well, kept the ball on the fairway which is key to scoring here, hit 13 fairways, hit almost every green in regulation and made 25 putts. Everything was perfect today.

I was first reserve in 2016 (when the event was held at Anahita) and I didn’t get into the event. I had to go back home, with tears in my eyes. I was playing really solid and was eager to get the chance to play. This year, I was really looking forward to coming and I’m here this week.

Right now, I’m looking to get a win in the remaining three events on the Asian Tour. I’m not thinking of securing my card. I’ve been through the situation last year and made it on the number, and I don’t want to go through it again. The best is just to win an event. If I win here, I’ll get a card both on the Asian Tour and European Tour, and that’s what I’m looking at.

I’m going to stick to my same plan. Good tee shops and hole putts. The weather just needs to stay the same and the good scores will come tomorrow.

I’ve been playing well, having won the Jeev Milkha Singh Invitational back home. I’ve changed my golf swing to the way I used to play. I wasn’t feeling comfortable and I made the changes about seven weeks back. Then I won a tournament and last week, I played really well, just that I got punished by kicks and bad lies. I know myself, that I’m playing well and hitting the ball great. This has been the best situation for the last two years.

Victor Perez (Fra) – First round 64 (-8)

I’ve been playing a lot of good golf lately. It’s been a really good streak, a little hard to believe in golf when we know how the highs and the lows can be. I’m trying to ride this wave out as long as possible and it showed again in this first round.

I don’t really know what was going right, I was kind of in the zone. I was just trying to go shot after shot. There were some opportunities out there with no wind on the par fives. I drove the second in two, hitting driver on my second shot gave me a tap-in for birdie.

After missing a short putt for birdie on one, that kept the round going after birdieing 18, I missed that opportunity after the turn on one and the birdie on two really kept it going. Then I was able to birdie three, four and nine to finish which was awesome.

I came here two years ago for a small French event. I think I finished third or fourth so I have good memories of this golf course and I was able to use some of the good visuals that I remembered, which was awesome.

Kurt Kitayama (Usa) – First round 65 (-7)

It was a solid round today. The course is quite open for me and I hit a lot of drivers, and it opened a lot of opportunities for me. Chipping around the greens is difficult so I’m just aiming to hit a lot of greens to avoid those into-the-green chips, and I was able to do that.

Justin Harding (Rsa) – first round 67 (-5)

Mauritius is nice. Whenever you’re on a holiday island, it’s always pretty nice. It’s a little humid, but in a good way. I felt that I was in good control all day. I drove it well; I made a silly bogey on three, but that was just between clubs. There were a few times out there, holes three and eleven in particular, where I was in between clubs. I plodded my way around, made a great putt on eight, slid it down the hill which kept me on and I made a good one on nine. It kept the momentum going through 11 with another par save.

I thought I gave myself good chances on 14th and 15th. The greens were breaking more and faster than I’m used to during practice.

On 16th, I made a bad swing. I am happy to get out there with a five (after incurring stroke and distance penalty). That was a bonus. On 18th, I hit a nice chip-in, which cool, especially when it was done in front of the crowd and on television!

Today’s round is a continuation of a pretty decent year. I’m just going to keep trying. You put three rounds together and give yourself a chance come Sunday. I thought I had a pretty good week in Hong Kong; it’s a matter of doing what I’ve been doing.

[On chasing the Asian Tour Habitat for Humanity Standings title] I’m trying to maintain my position and if I have a couple of good results here and in South Africa, then I’ll be able to put myself in a good position. Shubhankar (Sharma) is miles ahead, Sanghyun Park is playing well also. If I play nicely, then we’ll see what happens. It’s as easy as that.

Malcolm Kokocinski (Swe) – first round 67 (-5)

I’m feeling very good. I’m in a good mood, the golf course is very nice and it was an enjoyable walk. I have my older brother on the bag and we’re having a great time. We went to the beach this morning, had a swim and had a very good warm-up. This is a good place, with good vibes.

My putting was great today. I missed three greens, and I made all three up-and-downs. I stayed bogey-free and consistent today. I missed only one fairway, created a lot of opportunities and I told my brother to stay patient and the putts will fall.

This is the second time my brother is caddying for me; the first time was the Korean Open. It has worked out well so far.

We’ll be aiming to keep the mood and the balance good and have a smooth flow throughout the whole week.

Beau Champ, Mauritius, November 27: Justin Harding of South Africa is banking on his blistering form this season to reverse his fortunes at the €1 million (approximately US$1.14 million) AfrAsia Bank Mauritius Open which tees off on Thursday.

The South African has been resplendent in 2018, having notched five top-10s including two victories in his last nine starts on the Asian Tour. He is placed third on the Asian Tour Habitat for Humanity Standings and he is the highest-ranked player in the field.

Like Harding, Brazil’s Adilson Da Silva and Sweden’s Malcolm Kokocinski have made their career breakthrough on the Asian Tour this year.

Adilson Da Silva of Brazil

Da Silva had a wretched start to the season, as he did not progress to the weekend rounds in his first six tournaments. However, his season turned around in a big way when he emerged victorious in Chinese Taipei two months ago.

Lifted by his recent victory, the Brazilian is raring to bring his momentum to Mauritius.

Kokocinski was making significant headway on the Asian Development Tour (ADT) at the start of this year. He seized his chances when he was given the opportunity to play an Asian Tour event in Bangladesh and went on to win the tournament by three shots.

The Swede has admitted that his game has not been up to scratch since his victory, but he feels that he is slowly rediscovering the form and he hopes for another breakthrough at the AfrAsia Bank Mauritius Open.

Did you know:

• Justin Harding received an invitation to play at the Indonesia Open by virtue of his good form on the Sunshine Tour. He went on to win the tournament and took up Asian Tour membership.
• A fortnight later, he won the Royal Cup, becoming the first player on Tour to win twice in his first two starts in Asia.
• In addition to two victories, Harding has also notched three top-10s this season.  He was second at the Asia Pacific Diamond Cup, tied-fourth at the Mercuries Taiwan Masters and 10th at the Yeangder TPC.
• Adilson Da Silva is the first Brazilian to win on the Asian Tour.
• Before his win in Chinese Taipei, Da Silva has made only three cuts in 11 starts this season. He started the season with six consecutive missed cuts before claiming a tied-ninth place result at the Asia Pacific Diamond Cup
• Da Silva was given the honour of striking the first tee shot at the 2016 Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro when golf made a return into the programme after 112 years.
• Malcolm Kokocinski was leading the Asian Development Tour (ADT) Order of Merit before his victory at the Bangladesh Open this year.
• He is the second Swede to win on the Asian Tour this season after Alexander Bjork at the Volvo China Open
• Kokocinski’s best finish on the Asian Tour, prior to his breakthrough win, came at the 2016 Shinhan Donghae Open where he came in tied-fourth.

Players’ Quotes

Justin Hardin (Rsa)

Anahita is very wind dependent. The last time I played there, the winds were blowing at 65km/h and I was nearly blown off the golf course! It’s a long golf course and if the wind picks up, it will be very challenging.

It’s a nice week; you get hosted very nicely and it’s an awesome resort. It’s almost like a reward getting into the event. We always look forward to playing in Mauritius.

The guys on the Sunshine Tour will be gunning for my number one spot on the Order of Merit and it’s very important that I play well here. It’s an added bonus that the event is also sanctioned by the Asian Tour so I’ll also improve my position on the Habitat for Humanity Standings if I do well.

[When asked about his happiest memories in Mauritius] It’s funny you asked that because I missed the cut there for the past three years! I hope to bring this year’s performances with me to Mauritius. The winds blew a country mile previously and it was hard work for me. With a bit of luck, it won’t get too bad. I have a couple of things to work on before I get but nevertheless, it’s an awesome event and I’m looking forward to it.

Adilson Da Silva (Bra)

I look forward to playing in Mauritius. The last time I played on Anahita was in 2016. The wind was blowing the whole week, which was actually nice in my opinion. The conditions make you think about your tee shots. It’s a long course and you need to keep the ball in play. Mauritius is a beautiful place to go and a great golf destination.

It’s great to be the first Brazilian to win on Tour and I hope to win again soon. We’re going into final stretch of the season; I’m telling myself to take it one shot at a time and to stay patient. Sometimes, there’s a tendency to get ahead of yourself.

Malcolm Kokocinski (Swe)

This will be my first year in Mauritius and I’m very excited to have to chance to compete here. I haven’t played at the Anahita before but I’ve heard from other players that the course is very beautiful and it gets tricky when the wind picks up.

Winning on Tour has been brilliant so far. I can get to play on many new courses, including the one here at the Mauritius Open. I feel like I’m learning more, and I want to learn as much as possible in preparation for next year and beyond.

I have to admit that I haven’t been playing well after the win in Bangladesh. I’ve struggled a bit but I’ve been playing better recently. I’ll keep practising and stay patient.

Bangkok, Thailand, November 27: Korea’s Sanghyun Park will continue his chase for the coveted Asian Tour Merit crown when he tees off at the Queen’s Cup hosted by Jaidee Foundation on Thursday.

Placed second on the Habitat for Humanity standings, Park is looking forward to close the gap on leader, Shubhankar Sharma of India, who has opted not to play this week, with a fine showing in the US$500,000 event held at the highly-rated Legacy Golf Club.

With only three events left to play on the schedule and a winner’s prize purse of US$90,000 on offer this week, Park will have everything to play for when he makes his debut appearance at the event which will be hosted by Thai veteran Thongchai Jaidee.

While the battle for the prestigious Merit crown continues this week, the spotlight will also fall on players vying to finish inside the top-60 on the money list to retain their playing rights for the next season.

The 35-year-old Korean will spearhead a star-studded 132-men field with no fewer than 30 Asian Tour winners, including defending champion Jazz Janewattanond, who won in July for his second Asian Tour title.

Jazz, who turned 23 on Monday, hopes to make up for the disappointment of missing the cut in Hong Kong last week by putting up a strong title defence worthy of his status as the rising star from the country, albeit on a different course.

Korean-American Sihwan Kim, placed eighth on the Habitat for Humanity Standings, continues to seek his Asian Tour breakthrough at the event, held in honour of Her Majesty Queen Sirikit.

Kim has been knocking on the door to his maiden win all season, claiming five top-five finishes, including a tied-third result at the last edition of the Queen’s Cup.

Thongchai will assume responsibility of tournament host for the first time on the Asian Tour with the intention of drawing attention to the Jaidee Foundation, which focuses on giving back to the under-privileged golfers in his hometown.

Did you know?

• Sanghyun Park, who sits in second place on the Habitat for Humanity Standings with a current haul of US$561,898, is the highest-ranked player this week and trails leader Shubhankar Sharma by US$194,096.
• Park broke into the Asian Tour winner’s circle at the 37th GS Caltex Maekyung Open Golf Championship in May after emerging victorious following a four-way play-off.
• He claimed his second victory four months later on home soil at the 34th Shinhan Donghae Open where he led from start to finish.
• Park hails from Korea but he spends close to two months of the winter season in Thailand to take advantage of the warm weather to practice.
• Jazz Janewattananond claimed his second Asian Tour title on home soil at the Queen’s Cup in July that was held at Phoenix Gold Golf and Country Club for the first time.
• The Thai has enjoyed one win and three top-10 finishes and has only missed two cuts in his last eight appearances at the Queen’s Cup.
• Jazz has successfully defended his title before on the All Thailand Golf Tour in 2017, but this week will be the first time he will defend a title on the region’s premier Tour.
• Sihwan Kim sits in eighth place on the Habitat for Humanity Standings with a current haul of US$362,883.
• Kim came through Asian Tour Qualifying School in 2017 and kept his card for the 2018 season after finishing in 55th place on the Merit standings.
• Playing in only his second season on Tour, he has already claimed five top-five finishes this year including a runner-up finish in Chinese Taipei in October.

Players’ Quotes:

Sanghyun Park (Kor)

I love Thailand very much and conditions are great this week so I am hoping for a good showing. Two more games for me this season and I don’t want to put too much pressure on myself and I just want to do my best.

Last week in Hong Kong was unfortunate for me but I look at it as a week off golf to just recuperate and get some rest. My travel plans have been so hectic so it was nice to get a bit of a break. This has been a great season for me with two wins in a single season. I just want to end the year on a good note and overtaking the top spot will be a nice bonus. Right now, I am 118th on the Official World Golf Rankings (OWGR) so my main goal for the next two events is to improve on that and get myself inside the top-100.

Sihwan Kim (Usa)

I am pretty satisfied with how my season has been going, hopefully I can finish on a good note. Two more tournaments till the end of the season and I am going to very aggressive. I have had enough top-five finishes this year that has put me in a good position on the Habitat for Humanity Standings. I have come close so many times this season and I really just need a win to end the season well.

I played alright last week but I struggled to finish well on the last day. I am playing good but I just need to start make some putts. Honestly, I am feeling pretty tired towards the end of the season and have been playing a lot of golf so I just need to keep my momentum going.

It is my third time in Thailand this year and I finished well at the Queen’s cup in July. I’m really just going to focus on my putting this week especially inside 10-feet. If I make some putts here, I know it will be a good week for me.

Jazz Janewattananond (Tha)

It is my first time defending a title on the Asian Tour. It is a pretty weird feeling because this is a new golf course and I have never played on this course before. A lot of Thai golfers have an advantage this week because I know a lot of Thais practice here. It is good that this event is being held here so it gives a lot of the local boys a bit of an advantage to try and keep their cards for next year.

This is a pretty scorable golf course, right in the middle of the city. The conditions are great and I think the key for this week will come down to putting.

I went to see my coach a couple of weeks back and have been making a lot of changes. Honestly last week I was just too focused on my swing changes and trying to settle into my new swing. I understand that practice takes time and tournament golf is the best practice you can have. So, I won’t put too much pressure on myself this week and follow the plan I have set for myself.

Melbourne, November 25: Thomas Pieters and Thomas Detry lifted the first title for Belgium after cruising to a three-shot victory while Korea emerged as the best-placed Asian team in tied-sixth position at the ISPS HANDA Melbourne World Cup of Golf on Sunday.

Childhood friends Pieters and Detry, who started the day with a five-shot advantage, continued their formidable partnership as they closed with a four-under-par 68 in the final round foursomes to cap a winning total of 23-under-par 265 at The Metropolitan Golf Club.

The talented duo fended off fast-charging Marc Leishman and Cameron Smith of host nation Australia, who carded a second straight 65 to share second place with Mexicans Abraham Ancer and Roberto Diaz, who fired three birdies in their closing five holes for a commendable 66.

Korean talents Byeonghun An and Siwoo Kim settled six shots back of Team Belgium following a battling 70 while India’s Anirban Lahiri and Gaganjeet Bhullar matched the day’s efforts of Team Korea to settle for a share of 10th place at the prestigious US$7 million event.

Team China’s Li Haotong and Wu Ashun closed with a 67 to take 13th place on 277 while Thai duo Kiradech Aphibarnrat and Prom Meesawat marked their best round of the week with a 66 to finish a further shot back in tied-14th.

Malaysia’s Ben Leong and Gavin Green slipped to 22nd place following a disappointing 74 while Hideto Tanihara and Satoshi Kodaira took 23rd place for Japan after posting a 72.

Did you know?

• Team Belgium’s Thomas Pieters and Thomas Detry would each take home a winner’s prize purse of US$1,120,000 following their victory.
• Belgium became the 17th different country to win the World Cup of Golf and the eighth European country to win in the last 10 editions of the event.
• They carded matching rounds of 63s in both the fourball matches on Thursday and Saturday.
• After dropping a shot on second, Pieters and Detry bounced back with an eagle on fourth before adding two birdies to turn in 33. They went on to trade four birdies against three bogeys on their way home to seal the victory.
• Pieters played his second World Cup of Golf this week while Detry made his debut.
• They were former teammates at the University of Illinois. Pieters is 26 years old while Detry is 25.
• Team Korea of Byeonghun An and Siwoo Kim dropped a shot on the third but bounced back brilliantly with an eagle on the next before adding two more birdies to turn in 33. They would dropped another shot on their way home to sign for a 70 and grab a share of sixth place.
• An and Kim, who averaged 25 years old, is the youngest pair amongst the six two-man Asian teams in the 28-nation team competition. Byeonghun An is 27 years old while Siwoo Kim is 23.
• An, highest-ranked player from Korea, is a one-time winner on the European Tour while Kim has won twice on the PGA Tour. Kim is the first player from Asia to win twice on the PGA Tour before the age of 23.
• Best result by a Korean team at the World Cup of Golf remains the fifth place finish in 1971 (Chang Sang Hahn / Seung Hak Kim) and 1982 (Chang Sang Hahn / Sang Ho Choi).
• Team India of Anirban Lahiri and Gaganjeet Bhullar nailed five birdies against three bogeys for their closing round of 70.
• They hold a combined total of 16 victories on the Asian Tour, which includes three co-sanctioned wins on the European Tour.
• Lahiri, now a regular player on the PGA Tour, is a two-time International team member of the Presidents Cup. He is also the Asian Tour Order of Merit champion in 2015.
• Lahiri, 31, and Bhullar, 30, have represented India together in numerous team competitions since their amateur days. They featured in the Eisenhower Cup, Nomura Cup and Asian Games, delivering a team silver in 2006, before venturing almost at the same time into the play-for-pay ranks where they also represented Team Asia in the inaugural EurAsia Cup in 2013.
• Arjun Atwal and Jyoti Randhawa’s ninth-place finish in Portugal in 2005 remains India’s best result in the prestigious event.

Players’ quotes:

Thomas Pieters (Bel)

It feels very good. It’s not something you put on your list when you’re a golfer, but, you know, I felt it this morning and I felt it while we were playing, it’s just excitement and a bit nervous. I told my mom and dad it’s been a long time since I won and this feels as good as an individual title. I’m very, very happy.

I told him on 18 when he hit that drive, I said that’s a drive of somebody that’s going to win next year, for sure. To hit a drive like that, I can tell how much adrenaline was going through his body by how far it went.

I think we’ll take a lot of confidence out of this. It’s a shame the season’s over for me now. I felt like I played really good today and both of us we played really good. Sometimes we felt the guys coming, Australia coming right behind us and we answered it with a birdie, so I think we handled the situation very well.

I told Thomas yesterday, “Let’s play like we’re two behind.”  You do that in match play any time, I think you play against somebody else. It’s just the same as the second day. I told him, you know you’re going to make a couple of bogeys, but we’ll make a lot of birdies as well just because the weather was nicer, the greens were a bit softer as well. Not much strategy‑wise we changed or nothing, no.

Bringing this thing back home, I think it will change a bit how kids look at it and they’ll have something to look up to. We had Nicolas Colsaerts to look up to. We never really got in touch with him when we were younger and I think we would have loved it.

He maybe because he had the same coach, but for me it would have been amazing to see him play.  In a couple weeks we’re doing a day with all the juniors back home and for me it’s fun to do that because I know how much I would have loved it, so that’s why we do it.

Thomas Detry (Bel)

We weren’t far away in the soccer World Cup, so it’s pretty good to bring it back. Like Thomas said, it’s not really something you put on the list, but when it happens, you qualify for it, you play for it, you play with your best mate and it’s kind of a dream come true.

There’s nothing like representing your country on the other side of the world, it’s just amazing. Our two coaches, one of my two coaches, they both played it a long time ago, but they played it and they had an amazing experience.

Being able to put our name down the list when you see the amount of good players and all the big names that were actually on the cup, it feels pretty special. We’ve known each other since we were eight or nine years old. We used to play those junior events back home.

We kind of grew up together playing regionals, practices together, and then national team together under 18, and then he went to college, he went to America and I followed him. We know each other pretty well and we’ve never got sick of each other, I guess.  Well, maybe a few times, I don’t know maybe.

It’s a dream come true to play with him.  He’s got a lot of experience, and yeah, it was very comfortable to play with a guy like that.

We tried to keep it easy, just fairways and greens. It’s such a tough format.  It can be an easy format when things go well, but I think if things go wrong, it can be really hard to find some confidence and get some momentum back.

Like this week he was hitting a lot of long shots and I wasn’t really hitting that many long shots. I think I hit two drivers today, second one was on 18, so it’s really not that many tee shots. So you’ve got to find the right balance and try to build up on that and get some confidence back on the course, it’s not easy.

Byeonghun An (Kor)

It was just close. We really didn’t have much of birdie chances today.  I think my shot wasn’t that sharp, I guess, compared to the first two rounds so didn’t really have much of a birdie chance.  The par-fives were the only chances we had.

Overall, it’s been a decent week. I think there are a lot of great teams out there and to finish inside top‑10 is quite nice. We obviously wanted to do better, but it’s golf, we just didn’t have the best day.

It’s definitely a better experience than the last time I played the World Cup. I played better and he played pretty good this week as well. A little disadvantage having different balls, I guess, whereas other guys have a similar golf ball.

That’s why I struggled with the short game a little bit this week. It’s a disadvantage, but we did pretty well, considering that. Hopefully, I’ll be able to represent my country again in two years’ time.

Siwoo Kim (Kor)

We did pretty good to finish inside top‑10. We didn’t manage to give ourselves a lot of chances today but overall, it’s a good week. This is my last event of the year. I’m looking forward to getting some good rest before the next season starts.

Gaganjeet Bhullar (Ind)

Anirban’s our star man today, he was full of energy. I mean, I was, too, I thought so, but he woke me up on the sixth hole and I think before that I was kind of lazy, a lot of lazy swings. But thanks to Anirban, he was the one who was helping the scores.

Other than that, I think pretty disappointed with our finish although things started to get better on the back nine.  I had a few good shots and Anirban, of course, holed a lot of good putts.

It was just towards the end there that we were expecting a few more birdies. I mean, it happens in this kind of format, it’s not easy.

Anirban Lahiri (Ind)

If I were to sum it up, it’s been a bad weekend. I think we played really well Thursday, Friday without a doubt, a lot of positives there. Yesterday really was the day that both of us played quite poorly, and yesterday was the day that we kind of got ourselves out of contention. The effort was there.

Today we both came out and we wanted to go low. The golf course is set up for scoring, quite different from Friday. But sometimes in foursomes, you know, if you’re not both on top of your A‑game, you’re not going to shoot those really low scores.

I think we both really enjoyed ourselves.  We gelled together really well.  We were talking about it, it’s been maybe four or five years since the Eurasia Cup that we teamed last time, so it was a good reunion.  I think we enjoyed ourselves.

Definitely feel like we let it get away from us on the weekend. We should have at least been in there with an outside chance today and we weren’t, so that’s where the disappointment is.

I’m going to go home for a couple of weeks and I’ll play the Indonesian Masters. I’m looking forward to, you know, coming back and playing on the Asian Tour. It’s been a long time. That will be my last event of the year.