Rory McIlroy: I didn’t do enough over last four holes to close out Cameron Young
Rory McIlroy lost to Cameron Young in the semi-finals of the WGC-Dell Technologies Match Play (Eric Gay/AP).
Rory McIlroy made no attempt to hide his disappointment after missing out on a place in the final of the WGC-Dell Technologies Match Play.
McIlroy was two up with three to play in his semi-final against Cameron Young before losing on the first extra hole, while Sam Burns beat defending champion and world number one Scottie Scheffler on the 21st hole at Austin Country Club.
“Feeling obviously pretty bad, two up with three to play, but Cam played great,” McIlroy said.
“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.”
McIlroy fell behind after making a bogey on the third, but bounced back to birdie the fifth, sixth and ninth for a two-hole lead at the turn.
Both players birdied the 11th before McIlroy hooked his second shot on the par-five 12th from a fairway bunker into the water to see his lead halved.
Cameron Young reacts to his drive on the second hole during his semi-final win over Rory McIlroy (Eric Gay/AP).
However, an aggressive tee shot on the short 13th set McIlroy up for a birdie and he remained two up until Young birdied the par-five 16th.
Young also birdied the 18th to force extra holes and the 25-year-old then birdied the first extra hole, the par-five 12th, despite having to pitch out of a fairway bunker with his second shot to leave him 170 yards from the hole.
McIlroy was unable to convert his own birdie putt from nine feet and was no doubt not relishing having to contest the third/fourth-place play-off with Scheffler.
In the first semi-final, Burns made a flying start with a hat-trick of birdies to open up a three-hole lead, but bogeyed the fifth following an errant drive and Scheffler then birdied the sixth and eighth to get back on level terms.
Further birdies on the ninth and 10th, as Burns bogeyed both holes, gave Scheffler a two-hole lead before Burns birdied the 13th and 15th to get back to all square.
Scottie Scheffler reacts to missing a putt on the 12th hole during his semi-final loss to Sam Burns (Eric Gay/AP)
Burns almost holed his tee shot on the 17th to edge in front but Scheffler birdied the 18th to keep the match alive and both players birdied the first extra hole.
Scheffler missed from three feet on the 13th to win and Burns took full advantage, holing from 15 feet on the 14th to seal a dramatic victory.
“I played pretty solid most of the day,” Scheffler said. “I had a lot of good putts. I hit a bunch of lips today. Especially towards the end of the round I hit a lot of putts that I thought were going in that didn’t.
“And then I hit some good shots in the play-off, then I missed a shorty there on 13. Teddy (his caddie Ted Scott) had it a little higher than I did and I went with my instincts and it turns out it wasn’t enough break.
“It’s a bit frustrating, but I put up a good fight today. I almost went four down through four and put up a good fight and Sam played really well.”
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