Day wins WGC-Dell Match Play

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March 28, 2016

Jason Day has been crowned the WGC-Dell Match Play champion after cruising past Louis Oosthuien 5&4 in the final in Austin on Sunday.

In the third place playoff, Spain’s Rafa Cabrera Bello stunned defending champion Rory McIlroy 3&2.

Day, who came into the tournament having won the Arnold Palmer Invitational last week, found himself trailing early as Oosthuizen took advantage of his bogey at the first to go 1-up. However, the South African’s lead did not last long as his penalty for hitting the ball out of bounds at the third brought Day level.

The Australian, who will return to the top of the world rankings following his victory, proceeded to take the lead for the first time with an 11-foot birdie putt at the fourth before extending his advantage by making another birdie three holes later.

Day made a six-foot birdie putt at the ninth to go 3-up and built his lead further with another birdie at the 13th. The 28-year-old finished off Oosthuizen when he holed a two-foot birdie putt at 14th to win his second title in as many weeks.

Meanwhile, Bello also trailed early on in his clash with McIlroy as the Ulsterman converted a nine-foot birdie putt at the second to go 1-up.

McIlroy allowed Bello to bring himself level at the next hole as he missed a five-foot par putt to record a bogey. However, he restored his one-hole advantage at the fourth with an eight-foot birdie putt and held the lead until he recorded another bogey at the ninth.

Bello found himself in the lead for the first time when he holed a brilliant 29-foot birdie putt at the 11th and even though McIlroy brought himself level at the next hole, the Spaniard kept his cool and retook the lead with a 13-foot birdie putt at the 14th.

He extended his lead at the 15th courtesy of McIlroy’s failure to sink a five-foot par putt and claimed victory over the world number three with a birdie at the 16th.