Kevin Kisner put the disappointment of last year’s final defeat to beat Matt Kuchar in the WGC-Dell Technologies World Match Play Final. Picture by GETTY IMAGES

KEVIN Kisner claimed a maiden World Golf Championships title after triumphing over Matt Kuchar in the final of the WGC-Dell Technologies Match Play.

In the consolation match European No. 1 Francesco Molinari overcame Lucas Bjerregaard in an all-European battle to finish third.

Kisner, who finished runner-up to Bubba Watson in this event last year, went one better at Austin Country Club with a 3&2 win over his American compatriot.

That made it six wins in seven matches, and in the process became the first player to lift the trophy after losing his first match of the week.

Georgian native Kisner said: “I was thinking out there it might be the hardest match just because you have the physical aspect more than any other week.

“It was grueling, definitely, with the winds and the temperature today. Overall it was a long week, but I prevailed and I’m a World Golf champion.

“I just learned a lot from last year. I learned about preparation. I learned not to get too amped up for that final.

“You still have to come out and play golf. I don’t think either one of us played our best golf. But I drove it great all week with my Callaway driver, and it was a great week.”

Kisner’s opening defeat came to Englishman Ian Poulter, whom he later beat in a play-off decider to emerge from the group stage, and he had to beat another Ryder Cup hero – Molinari – in the semi-final to earn his place in the decider.

Having been two down with three to play, the reigning Race to Dubai Champion birdied the 16^th and 17^th holes to bring the match down the 18^th all square.

But a disappointing three-putt on the last ended the Italian’s hopes of a maiden World Golf Championships victory.

European No. 1 Francesco Molinari in action in the third and fourth place play-off match at Austin Country Club. Picture by GETTY IMAGES

Molinari said: “Obviously it was a very good start and then I think we were both really struggling for energy a little bit on the back nine.

“It was a very long week but we tried to keep going. And I think I played very well on the front nine this afternoon, so maybe a bit of consolation after this morning.

“It’s just one of those days, too many mental mistakes and some really weird shots around the greens. But all in all it’s a positive week.

“Obviously it’s bittersweet right now. I think going into Augusta, it’s a good week. Clearly I need to get my short game a little bit sharper than this morning, but otherwise it seems pretty good.

“It was definitely a positive week. Just a shame about this morning on the back nine.

“I didn’t play my best game and made too many mistakes, and kind of gave it away once, and then managed to fight my way back and then gave it away again.

“But it’s golf and it’s a long week, and with seven rounds it can happen to be slightly off for a few holes. So, it’s positive in general.”

Kuchar, meanwhile, dispatched of Bjerregaard on the 18^th hole in a tight semi-final match in which the Dane was never ahead but was never more than one hole down.

The American’s birdie at the par five 16^th put him one ahead with two to play and, although Bjerregaard held his nerve with a birdie putt at the penultimate hole to take it down the last, a pair of closing pars meant Kuchar progressed.

Having been embroiled in a row with Spain’s Sergio Garcia, who swiped at a tap in and missed before Kuchar could give him the nod for a concession, which ultimately cost the European in Saturday’s quarter-final, the 2013 World Match Play champion was disappointed not to  become the first player since Tiger Woods to win the title twice.

Kuchar, who already has two wins in the 2019 season under his belt, said after losing to Kisner: “It was certainly not what I’m looking for. It’s tough to maintain the high level of play the entire tournament.

“You hope to do it and I feel like I’ve kind of built a game that I could rely on playing some good, steady golf.

“But I gave too many holes away. It’s one of the things I pride myself on is not ever giving holes away.

“I knew against Kisner I couldn’t do it, and he just plodded along and played good, steady golf, and let me make mistakes. And that was good playing by Kevin.”

Both Molinari and Bjerregaard – who beat 14-time Major winner Tiger Woods in the quarter-final – could take consolation from their best respective finishes in a World Golf Championships event.

Big-hitting Bjerregaard, the last man in the field, was unhappy after coming down hard from his high after beating Tiger Woods to make the last four.

“There’s a lot of confidence from this. Today sucks, I’ll be honest with you. I had a lot of confidence from yesterday and the group play.

“But today really sucks – I didn’t bring my game today, unfortunately and I just kept making mistakes all day.

“Fran made it hard. I didn’t put pressure on him, but he put a lot of pressure on me right from the start.

“It was not really my match. It’s been a brilliant week. Of course, I can’t stand here and say it’s been a bad week.

“We were 64 to start and I’m in the last four. But to lose twice in a day, that hurts.

“I had a good match against Kooch this morning, and gave him a little bit for his money down the last few holes, and unfortunately I wasn’t able to do that against Frankie today.”

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Denmark’s Lucas Bjerregard holed a monster eagle on 16 before Tiger Woods’ missed par putt put him in the last four. Picture by GETTY IMAGES

LUCAS Bjerregaard showed nerves of steel to beat his childhood hero Tiger Woods in an enthralling quarter-final and reach the last four of the WGC-Dell Technologies Match Play at Austin Country Club.

European No. 1 Francesco Molinari also progressed after another day of domination for the Italian.

Dane Bjerregard was fearless under the most intense of pressure as he faced his very first experience playing alongside the 14-time Major Champion in front of sell-out crowds in Texas,

He had already overcome his fellow Scandinavian Henrik Stenson in the round of 16 earlier in the day.

It was a rip-roaring afternoon encounter, as Bjerregaard showed no signs of being overawed by the occasion, opening with a birdie to go one up.

Woods picked up three successive birdies to take a two-hole lead by the fifth, but the 27-year-old pulled it back to all square by the 10th.

A double-bogey at the 11^th set him back again but the real turning point came at the par five 16^th, where Bjerregaard drained a monster eagle putt to level the match going down the par three 17^th.

He stood firm again to hole a tricky putt and match Woods’ tap-in birdie before the game went down the final hole.

After the American found the bunker with his second, Bjerregaard gave himself an 18-footer to win.

Although he missed, it was game-set-match when Woods’ six-foot par putt slipped by. Bjerregaard will face Matt Kuchar in Sunday morning’s semi-final after he dispatched of Sergio Garcia in the quarter-final.

The 2018 Alfred Dunhill Links champion said: “It’s up there with my best days, that’s for sure. We had a great match, it’s a shame it had to end like this.

“It really didn’t deserve that. Obviously I’m happy to come out on the winning side. But we had a great match and I really, really enjoyed playing with him today.

“I’ve never played with him before, so it was a cool experience for me and obviously to say I’ve beaten Tiger, there’s not a lot of guys that can say that, so it’s up there.

“It’s so different to what I’ve ever experienced before. And I’ve played with some good golfers before.

“But I’ve never heard so many yell his name and all the stuff all the way around. And it was really cool to experience.

“I actually thought it was really enjoyable. But it must be hard, as well, doing that every day.

“The support out there was great. A lot of people yelling my name as well, and having a bit of fun with it. So there was support for me as well.”

Molinari, meanwhile, continued his remarkable week by beating Kevin Na 6&5, meaning all but one of his victories this week finished before the 16^th hole.

He has not yet played the 18^th this week. The reigning Race to Dubai Champion, who had beaten Paul Casey 5&4 to reach the last 16, will face last year’s runner-up Kevin Kisner – who took out Louis Oosthuizen in the quarter-finals – in the final four.

Last year’s Open Champion said: “I just played very well from the start. Kevin birdied the first and then after that just played very well and made a few putts, and didn’t make too many mistakes.

“It was playing tricky this afternoon. I’m glad it’s over now. I played great today, given the conditions. I would say a lot better than this morning.

“He birdied the first and then after that just started birdieing a few holes in a row, and just tried to keep pushing, like this morning.

“I think it’s really important at this level, even if you’re three or four up early, to keep going because matches can turn very easily.

“So again, I did that very well and I’m very happy with my performance.

“I’m just trying to play my own game as much as possible, not look too much at what they’re doing. I think in the past one of the mistakes I made was to get too hung up on what the other guy was doing on the course.

“In the end if you hit fairways, hit greens, make a few putts here and there, try not to drop any easy shots, you’re going to be pretty hard to beat.”

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