Sam Burns dominated a competitive field to win the WGC-Dell Technologies Match Play defeating Cameron Young 6&5 in the final.
The 26-year-old American fell behind in the early stages of the final after Young sunk a birdie on the second but Burns took control of the competition from then on, hitting eight birdies in 10 holes to secure a dominant victory, his fifth on the PGA TOUR.
Both finalists caused upsets in the semi-final matches on Sunday afternoon. Sam Burns defeated defending champion and World No. 1 Scottie Scheffler on the 21st hole while Cameron Young got the better of 2015 winner Rory McIlroy in a sudden-death extra hole.
“What a week, I am so tired,” Burns said. “I know Cam didn’t have his best stuff but it was a great match. I felt like I found something at the end of my match with Scottie [Scheffler] and was able to carry that on this afternoon.
“I have just tried to stack one good swing after another. It is what I have tried to do today and the last couple of weeks. It is nice to see the hard work I have put in paying off on the golf course.”
Defeated finalist Young said: “All I can take away is that I played really well. I am just thankful I got myself all the way here. I felt like I had a bunch of really tough opponents and just ran in to Sam Burns playing really well.
“We all know he is one of the best players in the world and when he is on top of it he might be the best player in the world. He certainly was against me.”
In the third place play-off between McIlroy and Scheffler, it was the Northern Irishman who came out on top beating the American 2&1.
Following his shock semi-final defeat, McIlroy said: “Feeling obviously pretty bad, two up with three to play, but Cam played great. He birdied 16 and 18 and then made a hell of a birdie there (on the play-off hole) after getting an unlucky break with the tee shot.
“I just didn’t do enough over those last four holes to close him out and when you don’t do that and you’re up against a player of Cam’s calibre that’s what’s going to happen.”
But the World No. 3 has taken positives from the competition as the highly-anticipated Masters tournament edges closer.
“If you had have told me I’d make it to the Sunday of the match play last week I’d have taken that,” McIlroy said.
The next event on the PGA TOUR is the Valero Texas Open taking place at TPC San Antonio between March 30 – April 2.
