Italian brothers Francesco and Edoardo Molinari win World Cup of Golf

Molinaris give Italy first World Cup title

SHENZHEN, China — Francesco and Edoardo Molinari became the first brother combination to win the World Cup of Golf, giving Italy its first title in the team event with a one-stroke victory over Sweden and Ireland on Sunday.

The Molinaris closed with a 4-under 68 in the alternate-shot final round on Mission Hills’ Olazabal Course. They finished at 29 under and earned $875,000 each in the tournament that featured two rounds of better ball and two of alternate shot.

Francesco hit a long greenside bunker shot to 3 feet on the 18th to set up Edoardo’s winning par putt.

“It was a very sweet feeling after holing the putt,” said Edoardo, No. 1 on the European Challenge Tour.

“When I saw the ball in the bunker, it was lying OK, and I just said, ‘Francesco, just knock it on the green anywhere, and I’m going to hole the putt,’” said Edoardo, who won last week’s Dunlop Phoenix in Japan.

Italy made its move with three straight birdies between 11 and 13.

“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,” Francesco said.

Sweden’s Henrik Stenson and Robert Karlsson, the winners last year, shot a 69 to tie for second with Ireland’s Rory McIlroy and Graeme McDowell (70). McIlroy and McDowell led after each of the first three rounds.

England’s Ian Poulter and Ross Fisher (64) finished fourth, three strokes back at 26 under. Americans Nick Watney and John Merrick had the best round of the day, a 10-under 62 that gave them a sixth-place tie at 20 under.