Defending champ Rory McIlroy fought hard to control his emotions after bluntly confessing he was both ‘cheesed off’ and ‘pissed off’ to be bundled out of the final of the WGC – Dell Match-Play in Austin, Texas.

McIlroy’s defence of the title ended with a 1up defeat at the hands of newly-crowned World No. 1 Jason Day on an overcast and windy Easter Sunday morning at the Austin Country Club course laid-out along the banks of the Colorado River.

The match-up between Day and McIlroy was a classic encounter with neither giving an inch and with the result, and though Day was 1up playing the last, not decided until the Aussie knocked in a 12-foot birdie putt to deny the Northern Irishman.

Rory McIlroy (NIR) shakes hands with Jason Day (AUS) after sinking his birdie-winning putt for the match on the 18th during their semi-final showdown in Austin, Texas.
Picture: Golffile | Fran Caffrey
All photo usage must carry mandatory copyright credit (© Golffile | Fran Caffrey)

The 27-year old Aussie-born Day, and winner also of last week’s Arnold Palmer Invitational, headed into the final against former Open Champion Louis Oosthuizen after the South African defeated Spain’s Rafa Cabrera-Bello 4 & 3.

McIlroy then faced the Spaniard in a fight to finish third in the Texas capital.

“It’s fair to day I am a little bit cheesed off at the moment as it’s always not nice when you lose,” he said.

“So I am standing here a little bit pissed off but then I have to now regroup and get back out there, and try and continue to play well.

“I am not angry with my game at all. I am just angry in that I didn’t do more in my match against Jason, and convert my chances when I could have.

“So I’m disappointed with the outcome but I am happy where I feel like my game is at the moment.”