Hunter Mahan delivered Rory McIlroy a humbling 2 & 1 WGC – Accenture Match Play defeat and in the process the American finally made ammends for being the player labelled as losing the 2010 Ryder Cup.
Mahan captured his second WGC title in defeating the current World No. 2 ranked McIlroy to collect the $US 1.2m first prize cheque.
In contrast, McIlroy remains at No. 2 in the world as he needed to defeat Mahan to go to No. 1 for the first time in his career.
Unfortunately, McIlroy’s second place finish continues a disappointing run of not being able to close out tournaments when leading.
Mahan emerged from the Ben Hogan bracket to defeat a host of the game’s best players starting with former Masters champion Zach Johnson (19th hole).
Hunter Mahan finds himself the last man standing in capturing the 2012 WGC - Accenture Match-Play Championship. (Photo - Fran Caffrey/www.golffile.ie)
Mahan then defeated former PGA Champion and Presidents Cup star Y E Yang (5 & 3) before silencing fellow losing 2010 USA Ryder Cup teammate Steve Stricker in the third round (4 & 3).
The American’s next scalp was compatriot and former PGA Tour leading money winner Matt Kuchar (6 & 5) that then set-up a semi-final showdown against the unsung Mark Wilson who he defeated 2 & 1.
And after McIlroy defeated Lee Westwood 3 & 1 it meant a USA and Europe showdown.
After Mahan and McIlroy halved the first five holes on the Dove Mountain course Mahan went ahead of the current U.S. Open champion when he won the sixth hole with birdie and then moved 2up with a bogey at the seventh after McIlroy walked off with a double.
McIlroy then bogeyed the next to hand Mahan a 3up lead heading to the closing nine.
And Mahan, who suffered the indignity of being the player to the lose the 2010 Ryder Cup at Celtic Manor, was not about to relenquish his advantage.
He won the 10th with a birdie to go 4up.
McIlroy fought back to win the 11th and 14th holes with birdies to be now 2 down but there was no denying Mahan a 2 & 1 success after both players ended with three straight pars.
McIlroy arrived in Arizona as the tournament’s second seed and he lived up to his billing with wins over South African George Coetzee ( 2up), Dane Anders Hansen (3 & 2), Spain’s Miguel Angel Jimenez (3 & 1) and Korean Bae-Sang Moon (3 & 2) in the semi final.
It set up a semi final showdown on the second half of the draw with World No. 3 Westwood.
And McIlroy took it right to Westwood fighting back from 3 down after just four holes to win the encounter 3 & 1 with a par at 17.
Westwood then played Wilson for third place and it was the American who finished in front winning 1up.
