Kevin Kisner defeats Matt Kuchar to win WGC Match Play final

Kevin Kisner shrugged off his bridesmaid's tag by beating Matt Kuchar in the final of the WGC-Dell Technologies Match Play in Texas yesterday morning (Singapore time).

A year after losing the decider to Bubba Watson, 48th seed Kisner proved too good for Kuchar, never trailing in a scrappy all-American final in which birdies proved elusive at Austin Country Club.

"I don't think either one of us played our best golf, but I drove it great all week," Kisner said after prevailing 3&2 for his third win on the PGA Tour. He has finished runner-up eight times.

"It was gruelling and the winds were tough. Overall it was a long week, but I prevailed and am a world golf champion."

Italian seventh seed Francesco Molinari won the match for third place, 4&2 over Lucas Bjerregaard of Denmark.

Kisner, who now jumps from 50th to 25th in the world rankings, is the first player to win the championship after losing his opening match.

The 35-year-old South Carolina native went down to Ian Poulter on Wednesday, but bounced back to beat Americans Tony Finau and Keith Mitchell in the round-robin phase and progress out of his group.

In the knockout stage, he downed China's Li Haotong (6&5), South Africa's Louis Oosthuizen (2&1) and Molinari (1-up). - REUTERS