Navigation

Italy wins Omega Mission Hills World Cup

Sunday, 29 November 2009
Fergus Bisset
0 Comments

Edoardo and Francesco Molinari

Francesco and Edoardo Molinari won the Omega Mission Hills World Cup for Italy, firing a closing 68 to finish one shot clear of Ireland's Graeme McDowell and Rory McIlroy.

The Italian brothers came into the final round a shot behind the Irish pairing but they pegged back the deficit before three consecutive birdies on the back nine gave them a narrow advantage they maintained until the end.

It was a first World Cup victory for Italy and a second title in two weeks for Edoardo who won the Dunlop Phoenix tournament in Japan last Sunday. Brother Francesco was delighted with the manner of their win at Mission Hills.

"It's really great for Italy. I think we deserved it as we attacked from the first day with every putt and every shot and we tried to make as many birdies as possible," he said.

As well as a winner's cheque for over €1 million the brothers were also awarded a rare bottle of 30-year-old Ballantines whisky.

Ireland who led after rounds one, two and three played a solid final round of two-under-par 70 but they came up just short of the Italian's winning total.

"I'm very happy for Italy," said McIlroy. "For two brothers to go out and win a title like this, it's incredible. It will be a great sense of satisfaction in the family tonight and across the whole country. It's been a great week and Graeme and I really enjoyed it."

Consolation for the Irish came in the fact they recorded the lowest round of the week - a 58 in the opening day's fourball. The pair were awarded a bottle of Ballantine's 21-year-old for that effort. McDowell is an international brand ambassador for the whisky.

Defending champions Sweden finished the week in a tie for second with the Irish while the English duo of Ian Poulter and Ross Fisher fired a closing 64 to climb to fourth spot.

Omega Mission Hills World Cup
Mission Hills GC, China
Nov 26-29, purse $5,500,000, par 72

1   Italy           64   66   61   68   259   €1,135,680
   Edoardo Molinari / Francesco Molinari
T2   Ireland       58   68   64   70   260   €484,334
   Graeme McDowell / Rory McIlroy
T2   Sweden       64   65   62   69   260   €484,334
   Robert Karlsson / Henrik Stenson
4   England       66   69   63   64   262   €205,758
   Ian Poulter / Ross Fisher
5   Japan           62   71   64   69   266   €153,650
   Hiroyuki Fujita / Ryuji Imada
6   Australia       68   70   62   67   267   €133,609
   Stuart Appleby / Robert Allenby
T7   Wales           66   68   64   70   268   €85,510
   Stephen Dodd / Jamie Donaldson
T7   South Africa   65   70   62   71   268   €85,510
   Rory Sabbatini / Richard Sterne
T7   Germany       66   71   66   65   268   €85,510
   Martin Kaymer / Alex Cejka
T7   USA           67   72   67   62   268   €85,510
   Nick Watney / John Merrick
T7   Korea           64   75   61   68   268   €85,510
   Charlie Wi / Yong-eun Yang