WGC Match Play: Rory McIlroy’s chances of a second WGC-Dell Technologies Match Play title were dashed in the semi-finals, but he won the third-place play-off against world No. 1 and defending champion Scottie Scheffler.
McIlroy, the 2015 champion, was eliminated in the last four on Sunday afternoon after missing a nine-foot birdie putt on the first extra hole at Austin Golf Club in Texas.
McIlroy was two up with three holes to play against Young before letting that lead go, but he bounced back later in the day to beat Scheffler 2&1 in the consolation match.
Sam Burns, who beat Scheffler on the third extra hole in their semi-final, defeated Young 6&5 in a one-sided final to win his sixth PGA Tour title and the $3.5 million top prize.
“Scottie and I were sad to lose our earlier matches, and it was a bit of a pillow fight for quite a bit of the match,” McIlroy said. On the back nine, we played some solid golf and traded birdies.
“I had my chances against Cam [Young] but couldn’t convert them, so it was good to come out and win this afternoon.”
McIlroy, who had a new putter and a shorter driver shaft in his bag after missing the cut at The Players, led Scheffler three up after five holes, only to be reduced to one up following bogeys at six and eight.
McIlroy increased his lead to two at the 12th hole after completing an eagle three with a putt from close to 18 feet.
Scheffler birdied 13 and 15, but with McIlroy doing the same at 14 and 16, the Northern Irishman went to the 17th hole two up and subsequently wrapped up victory with par threes.
McIlroy won round-robin group stage matches against Scott Stallings, Denny McCarthy, and Keegan Bradley, before going on to beat Lucas Herbert in the last 16 and Xander Schauffele in the quarter-finals on Saturday.
The 33-year-achievement old’s came two weeks after his troubles at The Players, which he went on to win, and two weeks before attempting to complete his career Grand Slam at The Masters.
Scheffler is the reigning Master’s winner, having won six tournaments in the last 14 months, including last year’s major at Augusta National.
Burns, though, destroyed Scheffler’s aspirations of winning seven titles by defeating him on the third extra hole after the players were all square following a tumultuous first 18 in their semi-final.
Burns was three up after three holes after starting his round with three birdies, but he was then two down through 10 when Scheffler rallied.
Burns tied the match with birdies at 13 and 15 and took the lead with a gain at 17 after a fantastic tee ball into the par three.
When Burns’ 10-footer to win it had pulled up a little short, Scheffler birdied the 18th with a five-foot putt to send the game to overtime.
The golfers made birdies on holes 19 and 20, then parred on hole 20, before Burns made a birdie from 15 feet on hole 21 to set up a final that he eventually won by a landslip.
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