Ireland well off the pace in World Cup of Golf

The Ireland team of Shane Lowry and Graeme McDowell lie nine shots behind leaders Denmark after the third day of the World Cup of Golf in Melbourne.

Soren Kjeldsen and Thorbjorn Olesen shot 60 in Friday's fourballs to take a three-shot lead over Ashun Wu and Li Haotong of China heading into the weekend, and extended their lead at the top of the leaderboard with a two-under-par 70 in Saturday's foursomes to go 14 under.

Americans Rickie Fowler and Jimmy Walker moved ahead of the Chinese pair into second on 10 under, after shooting a three-under 69, one of just two teams to break 70 on Saturday.

Lowry and McDowell birdied four of their last eight holes to card a two-under par 70 which moves Ireland to five-under for the tournament, in tied eighth place, three shots clear of the England pair of Chris Wood and Andy Sullivan.

Wood and Sullivan, playing alongside the Americans, were in joint third place after a birdie at the 10th but then dropped six shots in eight holes for a 77 that saw them drop back to two-under for the tournament.

Russell Knox and Duncan Stewart of Scotland are a shot further back after a 72, while Wales' Bradley Dredge and Stuart Manley stuttered to an eight-over par 80 to drop to four over for the tournament.

Kjeldsen says Denmark will try to extend their four-shot lead in Sunday's final fourballs at Kingston Heath, where he expects low scores to be the norm.

"Attack for sure. We try to take shots on and more so in the fourball. A lot of birdies are going to be made tomorrow, so we have to make birdies too," Kjeldsen said.

Fowler was pleased with Saturday's 69, matched only by the Canadian pair of David Hearn and Adam Hadwin, and feels the American team can put the pressure on Denmark in Sunday's final group.

"It would be nice to be out front or a little closer, but with where we were coming into today, just putting up a solid round of golf was what we wanted to do," he said.

"We did that and we gave ourselves a chance going into tomorrow. It's going to take some good golf and some birdies, obviously, but it will be nice being in that final group to know exactly where we stand."

Photo (©Inpho/Scott Barbour)

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