The Upshot: Belgium, Korea survive wild weather at ISPS Handa Melbourne World Cup of Golf

MELBOURNE, Australia – Notes and observations from the second round of the ISPS Handa Melbourne World Cup of Golf where teams played the Foursomes format in wet and windy conditions. LEADING LIGHTS
 WEATHER A PHYSICAL CHALLENGE: The temperature dropped, the winds lifted and the rain came down but while most teams went backward in Round 2 it was Belgium and Korea who withstood the tough test. Foursomes, or alternate shot, is hard enough but when the Melbourne weather turned wild it became a beast at Metropolitan Golf Club. Temperatures hovered around 56 degrees with cold winds at a steady 20 miles per hour with heavier gusts. Only four of the 28 teams in the even managed an under-par round, with Greece showing how bad it could get after a 15-over 87. The Belgium team of Thomas Pieters and Thomas Detry held firm with a 1-under 71 to move to 10 under for the tournament where they are joined by Korea. Former PLAYERS champion Si Woo Kim and Byeong Hun An shot even-par 72. “It was really fricking tough out there,â€� Pieters said. His partner was expecting to be called off the course early. “To be honest, I didn’t think we would finish today. Waking up this morning and getting here, it was just like horizontal rain,â€� Detry said. “So wind got up, wind didn’t drop, so it was just a tough day all around.â€� Korea were able to offset three bogeys with three birdies. “It was chaos,â€� An admitted. “It was a cold day, so it was like just trying to hold on.â€� Italy (71) shares third at 8 under alongside India (72), Malaysia (73) and England (74). NOTABLES USA: Hopes of adding to the USA’s stellar World Cup record might be over after Matt Kuchar and Kyle Stanley struggled to a 7-over 79 to be 1 over and tied 21st — some 11 shots back.   AUSTRALIA: The home nation looked set to be heading toward an uphill battle before a late rally saved some face. A 4-over 76 dropped them to 6 under overall but close enough with 36 holes still to play. At one stage they sat seven shots back thanks to a pair of costly double bogeys before a run of three straight birdies resurrected their hopes. “It was pretty brutal. You know when it’s like this in Melbourne it’s going to be tough, especially on a golf course like this,â€� Marc Leishman said. “Obviously not the start we were after, but I think to put a positive light on the day, we kind of fought back there at the end.â€�    ENGLAND: Overnight co-leaders Ian Poulter and Tyrrell Hatton scratched out a 2-over 74 to move to 8 under and into a tie for third. Both vented some frustrations as Hatton smashed a tee box marker at the 10th with his driver after a wild shot while Poulter believed conditions were borderline and made it known post round. “The (tee markers) are very fragile, obviously that wasn’t a great moment,” Hatton said of his outburst. “We all got finished, so I guess it was playable. We didn’t have any balls blow on the green, which I think if you look at it was a good thing, otherwise we probably would have stopped,â€� Poulter added. QUOTABLES There’s a phrase I would use, but I probably wouldn’t use it on camera.It’s fun, it’s fun. That’s why we’re here, for this kind of experience.The drainage is phenomenal. I thought it was going to be just absolutely unplayable and it was good. There’s a little bit of puddles here and there, but the fairways are phenomenal. The golf course can take a lot of rain.We never say sorry when we hit a bad shot and I think that helps.

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