Sawt Falasteen - Burns routs Young 6&5 to win WGC Match Play final

World number 15 Burns took a $3.5 million top prize at Austin Country Club in Texas by making eight birdies in the last 10 holes to dispatch 17th-ranked Young, last year's British Open runner-up.

"What a week. Man, I'm so tired," Burns said. "It was fun playing Cam. I know he didn't have his best stuff."

It was the fifth career PGA title for Burns, who won all seven of his matches to become the first player to capture the WGC Match Play in his debut since Australian Geoff Ogilvy in 2006.

"I just tried to stack one good swing after another," Burns said. "Really have tried to put the hard work in and it's nice to see it paying off on the golf course."

Burns dethroned top-ranked defending champion Scottie Scheffler in the semi-finals while Young, last year's PGA Rookie of the Year chasing his first tour win, ousted third-ranked Rory McIlroy, with both early matches going extra holes.

"Felt like I found something this morning at the end of my match with Scottie and kind of was able to carry that on this afternoon," Burns said.

"It's huge. I haven't played my best golf the past couple months and was really struggling with my swing the past couple weeks."

In the final, Young won the second hole with a five-foot birdie putt but Burns dropped his approach inches from the hole for a birdie to claim the fifth and pull level.

Burns nearly holed out from 45 yards and birdied to win the par-5 sixth then took the par-3 seventh when Young missed a six-foot par putt and captured his fourth consecutive hole with a 20-foot birdie putt at the eighth, seizing a 3-up advantage.

Burns sank a 12-foot birdie putt to win the 10th for a 4-up lead and made a 24-foot birdie putt at the par-3 11th, although Young tied the hole with a 22-foot birdie putt.

Young found water to lose the par-5 12th and fall 5-down then plunked his ball into water shy of the 13th green and moments later surrendered the match.

G.AbuHamad--SF-PST