Match updates from Sunday: WGC-Dell Technologies Match Play

Billy Horschel won the World Golf Championships-Dell Technologies Match Play on Sunday. Here's how the day played out.

RELATED:Live scoring, tee times, bracket | How to watch | Recaps from Saturday

MATCH RECAPS

CHAMPIONSHIP MATCH

BILLY HORSCHEL (32) def. SCOTTIE SCHEFFLER (30), 2 and 1

Billy Horschel picked up his sixth PGA TOUR victory and sent a message to Ryder Cup captain Steve Stricker by taking down young star Scottie Scheffler 2 and 1 in a grinding final at Austin Country Club.

Both players only managed one birdie apiece in the tough windy conditions with Horschel holding firm to outlast the 24-year-old Texan and crowd favorite.

The 2014 FedExCup champion had to rebound from an early deficit when he missed a chance to win the opening hole and then hit his tee shot on the second into a penalty area.

But a brilliant chip in for birdie on the fifth hole squared the match and from there Horschel would never be behind again. A Scheffler bogey on the seventh gave Horschel the lead and he would not relinquish the advantage despite giving Scheffler some chances.

The Texan fell two holes behind when he three-putted the ninth and failed to make inroads from that point on.

The match turned on the 12th hole when both men offered the other a chance to win but neither obliged. Scheffler – for the second time on Sunday – hit his approach shot into the water, which opened the door for Horschel. But incredibly the Floridian overcooked his wedge into a bunker and when he was unable to get up and down Scheffler went from facing a 3-down deficit to having a 10-foot putt to cut into the lead. He was unable to convert.

Two holes later Scheffler’s real moment came. A brilliant approach from 145-yards on the 14th nestled pin-high just 4-feet, 7-inches from the cup. When Horschel missed a longer birdie try the crowd knew the comeback should start right here. But his effort squirted right and refused to drop, relieving any pressure for Horschel.

They halved the next two holes leaving Scheffler with the daunting task of winning the final two holes to force a playoff. Once again he had an opportunity – facing 10-feet on the 17th to extend the match. But his putt slid past and Horschel was champion.

Said Horschel: “It's huge. I know I've won on TOUR but I feel like I should have won more. I should have at least contended more in some of these WGC events and majors. I think everyone who knows me or is around me knows that I put in a tireless amount of work, day-in and day-out, and sometimes I'm hard on myself when I'm not seeing the results right away and that's why I probably haven't consistently played well week-in, week-out, year to year.

“I've had some ups and downs. I am trying to be a little bit easier on myself and I think this year I’ve been a little bit better about that and it's just nice to finally see some results. It's been a lot of hard work being put in the game from my entire team and sometimes the results just take a little bit longer to show up. And we have been playing some good golf this year, just haven't put it all together and this week maybe match play was a format I needed to get the victory.”

CONSOLATION MATCH

MATT KUCHAR (52) def. VICTOR PEREZ (31), 2 and 1

Matt Kuchar added another win to his World Golf Championships – Dell Technologies Match Play tally – bringing him closer to all-time leader Tiger Woods – by taking third place against Frenchman Victor Perez. Kuchar now has 34 wins to his career tally while Woods still holds sway at 36.

After the disappointment of their semifinal losses, Kuchar and Perez started terribly on the opening hole in the afternoon but Kuchar’s bogey was good enough to take an early lead.

Perez – who was chasing special temporary membership on the PGA TOUR with a win – bounced back with a birdie on the second to square the match.

But just like his semifinal against Billy Horschel in the morning the 28-year-old couldn’t limit his mistakes and bogeys on the eighth and 10th holes gave Kuchar a 2-up lead. The veteran then birdied 11 and 12 to go a decisive 4-up.

Perez refused to quit and threw some birdies of his own at Kuchar on 13 and 14 but he couldn’t make any further inroads.

Said Kuchar: “This is as good as I’ve felt about my game and I had a blast out here. Austin Country Club was just magnificent, the setup was fun, they did a great job, every year we come here I really enjoy myself. Certainly it was anti-climactic playing in the afternoon match, but once you get out, once you get going, the juices get going and you don't want to lose. So it was a good battle with Victor in the end.”

SEMIFINAL

BILLY HORSCHEL (32) def. VICTOR PEREZ (31), 3 and 2

Former FedExCup champion Billy Horschel was the first man into the World Golf Championships–Dell Technologies Match Play Final after he came from behind to beat Frenchman Victor Perez.

Horschel won the opening hole but found himself 1-down through six as he chased a spot in the championship match. With tough winds whipping through the canyon lined front nine and the river adjacent back nine, birdies were hard to come by. And so it came to pass that the man who could survive the conditions would be the man to advance.

Sadly for the 28-year-old Perez it was his mistakes that allowed Horschel his path to a chance at the trophy. Bogeys on the seventh, 10th and 11th holes spun the match towards the American and a costly three-putt on the 14th essentially sealed his fate.

Perez gave the crowds one last highlight by almost holing out from 122 yards on the 15th to prolong the match but when he missed a 10-foot birdie putt on 16 Horschel put the match to bed.

The 2014 FedExCup champion was runner up at the recent World Golf Championships – Workday Championship at The Concession but now seeks to go one better and claim a sixth PGA TOUR title.

Said Horschel: It was a challenge. It was a lot of fun. When you play in wind like this you just got to understand you're going to hit good shots and not get rewarded for it. It wasn't one of those days you go out can make a lot birdies. Sort of had to grind it out and understand pars were good scores. I did a good job of that. I didn't play anything special. I just played solid golf and let Victor make a few mistakes.

SEMIFINAL

SCOTTIE SCHEFFLER (30) def. MATT KUCHAR (52), 1-up

Local Texan favorite Scottie Scheffler had seemingly hit his stride and looked to be cruising towards the Championship Match at Austin Country Club after he took a 2-up lead on Matt Kuchar at the 11th hole.

But just as he was dreaming of a chance at the title he dumped two balls in the water on the 12th and 13th holes and allowed the veteran Kuchar right back into a grinding contest.

High winds made birdies hard to come by but in the end it was a critical 10-foot birdie on the 17th green that would help Scheffler to the final – but not before he dodged one last punch on the 18th hole.

After failing to make birdie from 16-feet Scheffler could only stand by and watch as Kuchar lined up his birdie try from just outside 8-feet. The 2013 champion and 2019 runner up would have sent the match to extra holes had he found the hole but his attempt slid by and gave Scheffler a 1-up triumph.

Scheffler is from Dallas and is also an alum of the University of Texas here in Austin. As such the 24-year-old was the clear crowd favorite. Earlier he took a 1-up lead thanks to a Kuchar bogey on the second hole but gave it up with a three-putt on the fourth green. A brilliant approach shot into the ninth set up a lovely 11-foot birdie before he negotiated the swirling winds impressively at the par-3 11th and converted another birdie from 18-feet.

With the match in his control though he found the water with his second shot on the 12th to gift Kuchar the hole and then did the same when trying to drive the 13th green. The pair traded pars on 14, 15 and 16 before Scheffler made his move on the penultimate hole.

The PGA TOUR Rookie of the Year from 2020 will now attempt to be the first first timer to win the tournament since Geoff Ogilvy in 2006. It would be Scheffler’s first PGA TOUR title.

Said Scheffler: “I felt really good about how I was playing all day. My stroke felt good. My swing felt very good, and I was comfortable. I think I was almost too comfortable. Kind of lost focus on 12 and 13… 12 was a bad shot and you can't do that. Had to keep the pressure on him. On 13 I really hit a good shot. I don't know how it came up short. (But) I felt good about my game and I knew if I kept executing and hitting good shots, I would have a chance to win.”