Billy Horschel beat fellow American Scottie Scheffler 2&1 to win the WGC Matchplay title in Austin, Texas.
Matt Kuchar, who lost to Scheffler in the semi-final, beat France’s Victor Perez 2&1 in the match to decide who finished third.
The final was a tense and drawn-out affair between two players who were both ranked outside the top 30 in the 64-man tournament. Scheffler’s birdie to win the second proved to be the only hole he would win as he scrambled his way round a course.
The 24-year-old, searching for his first PGA Tour win, had beaten European Ryder Cup players Ian Poulter and Jon Rahm in Saturday’s knockout rounds, but struggled to recapture that form in Sunday’s final. He was often wayward off the tee and hit just five of the first 13 greens in regulation.
As the play got slower, the mistakes increased. Scheffler found the water on the par-five 12th, but Horschel failed to take advantage, hitting his ball into a greenside bunker from 100 yards as they halved the hole in bogey sixes. Scheffler benefitted from free drops after hitting his tee shots behind spectator stands on the 13th and 15th holes, and they also halved the 16th in par fives after both sliced their drives into the rough.
The par-three 17th proved to be the final hole. Both players found the green and after Horschel missed his 24-foot putt, Scheffler had an 11-footer to win the hole and take the match down the last. But he missed to hand Horschel the title after four hours of attritional play.
“It was one of those days where I didn’t play very well,” said 34-year-old Horschel, who won the FedEx Cup back in 2014 and whose last win came in 2018. “I wish I had played better, but I grinded it out for the win.”
In the third-fourth placed play-off, Kuchar, winner of this event in 2013 and runner-up in 2019, won four holes out of five from the eighth to go four up, but Perez hit back to win the next two with birdies. However, the match ended on the 17th when Perez was unable to hole a 25-foot birdie putt after Kuchar was in for par.
Despite Sunday’s two defeats, it was an excellent week for the Frenchman, who enhanced his reputation as a solid matchplay exponent and he also picked up 600 Ryder Cup points for finishing fourth. Perez is now 30th in the world rankings, his highest ever position since turning professional in 2015.
Horschel’s winning gear
Driver: Titleist TSi3 (9°)
Fairway wood: Titleist TSi2 3 (15°), Titleist TSi2 5 (15°)
Irons: Ping Blueprint (3, 5-PW)
Wedges: Titleist Vokey SM8 (52, 56, 60)
Putter: Ping Sigma 2 Tyne
Ball: Titleist Pro V1