THE magnificent Molinari brothers made World Cup history yesterday as the season stretched just one round too far for the title-winning hopes of young Rory McIlroy and his Ireland team-mate Graeme McDowell at Mission Hills.

In becoming the first Italians and the only brothers to win this championship since its inauguration in 1953, Edoardo and Francesco Molinari have brought a year of high-achievement by both of them to a glorious conclusion.

A sensational hat-trick of birdies early on the back nine propelled the Molinaris ahead of their Irish playing companions and they held on doggedly over the final five holes of yesterday's foursomes to complete a closing 68 and a winning total of 28-under (worth €567,840 each).

Blazed

McIlroy and McDowell, who'd blazed a glory trail in Shenzen with last Thursday's sensational 58 in the opening fourballs and were still one stroke ahead of Italy and defending champions Sweden yesterday morning, shared second (worth €242,167 each) with Robert Karlsson and Henrik Stenson on 27-under, courtesy of a mildly-frustrating 70.

After performing with real flair over the first couple of days, the Ulster duo appeared to lose sparkle yesterday. Yet it would be churlish to play the blame game after four days in which McIlroy and McDowell gave European captain Colin Montgomerie further impressive evidence of their prowess for next September's Ryder Cup.

Indeed, it's astonishing how well McIlroy played at Mission Hills, given the hugely dramatic and deflating finish to his European Tour campaign in Dubai the previous Sunday, not to mention the remarkably high level of consistency sustained by the Holywood youngster over the previous 12 months.

For all that, he pulled a few of his tee shots left yesterday, one effort into deep undergrowth, leading to the bogey six at the third hole which briefly gifted the lead to Stenson and Karlsson.

However, the Swedes failed to recapture the magic they'd shown on Sunday in Shenzen last year, when they'd clinched the 2008 World Cup with a phenomenal closing 63. They had just one bogey in 72 holes at Mission Hills, but let a procession of chances slip by yesterday, so that their early advantage was short-lived.

Ireland brilliantly wrested back the initiative with a run of four successive birdies which put them three ahead and firmly in command as they walked off the green at seven.

Yet McDowell hit his tee shot at eight into a greenside trap, leading to bogey, before a birdie at nine breathed life back into the Italian challenge, easing them to within one stroke of the Irish.

McIlroy then had a couple of lucky escapes when badly-pulled drives at nine and 11 both bounced off a cart path and out of serious trouble ... but there was no recovering from a three-putt bogey at 10, where the youngster missed from inside three feet for par.

The significance of this stinging setback would be compounded over the next three holes as Francesco Molinari found a rich vein of form with his putter, a seven-footer at 11 serving as a mere teaser for the two 45-foot monsters he holed at 12 and 13.

Following this hat-trick of birdies, the Italians were two in front and would not be caught, although a glimmer of hope appeared for the Irish when Edoardo Molinari hit his approach through the green at 18 and into sand.

However, Francesco delivered the goods once again, calmly splashing out to three feet. As the putt for par and victory dropped, Edoardo exploded with joy, leaping into the arms of his nonplussed brother.

These two might share a great talent as golfers, but they have distinctly different personalities.

Francesco (27), the 2006 Italian Open champion, who registered nine top-10s on the European Tour as he soared to 14th place in the final Race to Dubai standings and to 37th in the world, is as cool as they come.

Excitable

Edoardo (28) is more excitable. Rated the hotter prospect after his victory at the 2005 US Amateur Championship, he delivered on that potential this year. Three tournament wins fired him to the top of the 2009 European Challenge Tour rankings before he overcame Karlsson in a play-off at last week's Dunlop Phoenix in Japan.

Together, they formed such a formidable bond at their second World Cup, they look as if they'd be one heck of an asset should they become the first brothers to make it to the Ryder Cup since Geoffrey and Bernard Hunt in 1963.

In fact, Monty can draw much encouragement from an eventful week in China, given the performance of the Italians, Irish, Swedes and Ian Poulter and Ross Fisher of England, who clinched fourth place by following up on Saturday's bogey-free 63 in the fourballs with yesterday's faultless 64.

A long season ends for McIlroy next Sunday, after he, Fisher, Karlsson and Stenson play the Nedbank in South Africa. Poulter goes to Tiger's Chevron Challenge in California, while McDowell calls it a day for 2009.

- William S Callahan

Irish Independent