Rory McIlroy home third but accepts 'I didn’t do enough' in Austin

By PA
Published 26th Mar 2023, 19:59 BST
Updated 27th Mar 2023, 00:49 BST
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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 before going on to defeat Scheffler 2&1 in the Consolation match for third place overall. “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.

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“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.”

​Northern Ireland's Rory McIlroy missed out on the World Golf Championships-Dell Technologies Match Play final at Austin Country Club but finished third overall following victory in the Consolation against Scottie Scheffler​Northern Ireland's Rory McIlroy missed out on the World Golf Championships-Dell Technologies Match Play final at Austin Country Club but finished third overall following victory in the Consolation against Scottie Scheffler
​Northern Ireland's Rory McIlroy missed out on the World Golf Championships-Dell Technologies Match Play final at Austin Country Club but finished third overall following victory in the Consolation against Scottie Scheffler

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.

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.

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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, Scheffler missed from three feet on the 13th to win and Burns took full advantage, holing from 15 feet on the 14th.

Burns went on to thrash Young 6&5 in the final to claim his fifth PGA Tour title and the first prize of 3.5million US dollars (£2.8million).

“What a week. I’m so tired,” Burns told NBC. “I felt like I found something towards the end of my match with Scottie and was able to carry that on this afternoon.”

Related topics:Rory McIlroy