By STEPHEN WADE
Associated PressSHENZHEN, China – Robert Karlsson and Henrik Stenson gave Sweden its second World Cup title, shooting 9-under 63 Sunday in alternate-shot play to beat Spain’s Miguel Angel Jimenez and Pablo Larrazabal by three strokes.
Karlsson and Stenson, four strokes behind the Spaniards after the third round, finished at 27-under 261 on Mission Hills’ Olazabal Course.
“I thought it was our turn today,” Stenson said.
Sweden’s only other victory in the event came in 1991 when Per-Ulrik Johansson and Anders Forsbrand beat Wales by a stroke at Le Querce in Rome.
Jimenez and Larrazabal finished with a 70 in their bid to give Spain its fifth title and first since 1984. Australia’s Richard Green and Brendan Jones (76) and Japan’s Ryuji Imada and Toru Taniguchi (68) tied for third at 18 under. Americans Ben Curtis and Brandt Snedeker (73) finished ninth, 14 strokes back at 13 under.
The victory caps a great season for Karlsson, a two-time winner on the European Tour. Stenson is winless this season in individual play.
“I’m starting to run out of tournaments,” Stenson said. “This is my third last. So, I’ve got two more to go in South Africa. But winning for Sweden in nice. It’s been a while.”
The Swedes made five brides on the front nine to catch the Spaniards at 23 under. Playing a group ahead of Spain, Stenson missed a short birdie putt on 10 that would have put them at 24 under.
Sweden pulled into the outright lead with birdies on Nos. 11, 12, 14 and 15 to reach 27 under – four clear of Spain. Stenson missed a 10-footer on No. 13 that would have extended the lead even more.
The key was mastering the difficult foursomes (alternate shot) format, played Friday and Sunday. In foursomes, teams play only one ball and alternate shots. Four-balls (best ball) is easier. Each golfer plays his own ball and counts the best score on each hole.
Sweden shot 67-63-130 playing foursomes and 65-66-131 playing fourball.
The Swedes were the favorites entering the tournament, and two of only three players in the field ranked in the top 20. Karlsson, who won the European money title this season, is No. 6 and Stenson 12th. Spain’s Jimenez is ranked 20th.
All four days were played in perfect conditions with a light breeze stirring through the hilly, tree-lined course designed by two-time Masters champion Jose Maria Olazabal. The rolling layout would look familiar anywhere. Only a 100-foot-high stone statue of Guanyin along the 18th fairway – a Chinese female goddess with Buddhist origins – suggests the club’s location.
The Swedes split $1.7 million in prize money, a big chunk of the $5.5 million purse. Despite the global economic downturn, the purse offered by sponsor Omega was 10 percent above last year. This year’s event was the second of a 12-year contract at Mission Hills, the sprawling golf estate that boasts the world’s largest layout with 216 holes.
Final scores with relation to par from the Omega Mission
Hills World Cup, played Nov. 27-30 at the par-72 Mission Hills Golf Club
(Olazabal) in Shenzhen, China (Note: first and third rounds best-ball; second and fourth rounds foursomes):
| 1. Sweden |
65-67-66-63--261 |
|
-27 |
| 2. Spain |
64-63-67-70--264 |
|
-24 |
| 3. Australia |
63-68-63-76--270 |
|
-18 |
| 3. Japan |
66-68-68-68--270 |
|
-18 |
| 5. Germany |
62-69-68-73--272 |
|
-16 |
| 6. England |
69-74-63-67--273 |
|
-15 |
| 7. Thailand |
69-73-64-68--274 |
|
-14 |
| 7. South Africa |
70-70-67-67--274 |
|
-14 |
| 9. United States |
64-69-69-73--275 |
|
-13 |
| 10. France |
68-75-62-71--276 |
|
-12 |
| 10. Philippines |
67-72-65-72--276 |
|
-12 |
| 10. Chile |
67-76-66-67--276 |
|
-12 |
| 13. Denmark |
65-75-64-73--277 |
|
-11 |
| 13. Canada |
64-71-69-73--277 |
|
-11 |
| 13. Portugal |
67-73-67-70--277 |
|
-11 |
| 16. Ireland |
65-68-68-77--278 |
|
-10 |
| 17. India |
67-72-70-71--280 |
|
-8 |
| 17. China |
69-75-64-72--280 |
|
-8 |
| 19. Italy |
70-73-64-74--281 |
|
-7 |
| 19. Scotland |
68-73-68-72--281 |
|
-7 |
| 21. Finland |
69-70-68-75--282 |
|
-6 |
| 22. New Zealand |
65-75-68-75--283 |
|
-5 |
| 22. Guatemala |
69-76-66-72--283 |
|
-5 |
| 24. Taiwan |
68-74-69-72--284 |
|
-4 |
| 25. Wales |
69-77-68-71--285 |
|
-3 |
| 26. South Korea |
68-70-71-78--287 |
|
-1 |
| 27. Mexico |
66-77-71-74--288 |
|
E |
| 28. Venezuela |
71-74-75-74--294 |
+ |
6 |
TEAMS1. Sweden: Robert Karlsson-Henrik Stenson
2. Spain: Miguel Angel Jimenez-Pablo Larrazabal
3. Australia: Brendan Jones-Richard Green
3. Japan: Ryuji Imada-Toru Taniguchi
5. Germany: Martin Kaymer-Alex Cejka
6. England: Ian Poulter-Ross Fisher
7. Thailand: Prayad Marksaeng-Thongchai Jaidee
7. South Africa: Rory Sabbatini-Richard Sterne
9. United States: Ben Curtis-Brandt Snedeker
10. France: Gregory Bourdy-Gregory Havret
10. Philippines: Marciano Pucay-Angelo Que
10. Chile: Felipe Aguilar-Mark Tullo
13. Denmark: Soren Hansen-Anders Hansen
13. Canada: Wes Heffernan-Graham Delaet
13. Portugal: Tiago Cruz-Ricardo Santos
16. Ireland: Graeme McDowell-Paul McGinley
17. India: Jyoti Randhawa-Jeev Milkha Singh
17. China: Liang Wenchong-Zhang Lianwei
19. Italy: Edoardo Molinari-Francesco Molinari
19. Scotland: Colin Montgomerie-Alastair Forsyth
21. Finland: Mikko Korhonen-Roope Kakko
22. New Zealand: David Smail-Mark Brown
22. Guatemala: Pablo Acuna-Alejandro Villavicenc
24. Taiwan: Lu Wen-the-Lin Wen-tang
25. Wales: Bradley Dredge-Richard Johnson
26. South Korea: Kim Hyung-tae-Bae Sang-moon
27. Mexico: Oscar Serna-Daniel DeLeon
28. Venezuela: Miguel Martinez-Raul Sanz
Posted: 11/30/2008
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