Belgium, South Korea edge clear at World Cup of Golf

Belgium and South Korea share the lead at the halfway mark of the World Cup of Golf after tough second-round conditions.

Belgium's Thomas Detry and Thomas Pieters in action at the World Cup of Golf.

Belgium pair Thomas Pieters and Thomas Detry and South Korean duo An Byeong-hun and Kim Si-woo pushed clear at the World Cup of Golf on Friday.

Pieters and Detry carded a one-under 71 during a wet second round, played in the foursomes format, in Victoria.

An and Kim managed an even-par 72 to join the Belgian pair atop the leaderboard at 10 under, the teams sharing a two-stroke lead at the Metropolitan Golf Club.

In tough conditions, Pieters and Detry were one of only four teams to shoot a round under par, with Mexico's Abraham Ancer and Roberto Diaz producing the day's best with a two-under 70.

England's Ian Poulter and Tyrrell Hatton battled to a 74 to be in a tie for third with Italy's Andrea Pavan and Renato Paratore (71), India's Anirban Lahiri and Gaganjeet Bhullar (72) and Malaysia's Gavin Green and Ben Leong (73).

Poulter was furious with the conditions players were forced to compete in, at one stage asking officials when it would be considered unplayable.

Australia's Marc Leishman and Cameron Smith managed to salvage a four-over 76 to be at six under and tied for eighth.

Defending champions Thorbjorn Olesen and Soren Kjeldsen of Denmark also struggled, a 77 leaving them two shots further back.

The United States slipped back to one over after Matt Kuchar and Kyle Stanley combined to fire a 79, making five consecutive bogeys to finish their round.