Billy Horschel Wins WGC-Match Play

Billy Horschel defeated Scottie Scheffler 2&1 in the final of the WGC-Match Play to claim his sixth PGA Tour victory and his first WGC event.

Billy Horschel Wins WGC-Match Play

Billy Horschel had never even made it into the knockout stages of the WGC-Match Play before the tournament began, but was only two wins away from his first WGC crown.

To advance, Horschel would need to defeat an inform Victor Perez. With there being nothing to separate the pair over the front nine, Horschel made a big move with two wins at the 10th and 11th.

Birdieing the 14th, the American moved to three-up on Perez and despite losing the next hole, rallied back to win the 16th and claim a 3&2 victory to move himself into the final.

Victor Perez has boosted his chances of making the European Ryder Cup team. (Photo by Michael Reaves/Getty Images)

Horschel would now meet fellow countryman Scottie Scheffler, with Scheffler overcoming a mammoth tussle with Matt Kuchar in his semi final.

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Facing the hometown favourite, Horschel started poorly, losing the second hole after pulling his tee shot left into the wasteland.

He recovered well though, with a birdie at the fifth putting him back to all-square, before a mistake by Scheffler on the seventh hole put Horschel one-up.

A short missed putt at the ninth then put the American two-up at the turn with the pair trading pars at the 10th and 11th.

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Horschel then squandered a great opportunity to go three-up at the 12th. After Scheffler found the drink with his second shot, his opponent would fly the green, finding the bunker at the back of the green. Failing to get up-and-down from the sand, Horschel remained two-up.

With the pair halving the next four holes, Horschel eventually wrapped the victory up with a par at the 17th for a 2&1 victory.

Horschel claimed his first WGC win in his 20th start (Photo by Darren Carroll/Getty Images)

Speaking after his round, Horschel said: “I mean there’s so much emotion right now, it was one of those days where I didn’t play very well, I didn’t hit it very good and my swing felt awful, I was just grinding it out.

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“I wish I could have hit it better so I would of had more opportunities to make birdies, but I had two opponents that played really good today but they didn’t make any putts and I did and that was the difference.”

In the third place match, Matt Kuchar overcame Victor Perez 2&1 in a tight affair that saw both men display some mixed golf.

Related: Who Is Matt Kuchar’s Wife?

The match had been close for the first eight holes, that was until Kuchar reeled off four wins on the bounce to take a comfortable lead with six holes remaining.

Perez didn’t give in though, making two birdies at the 14th and 15th, but it was to little to late, as Kuchar saw out the remainder of the match for a 2&1 victory.

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