Washington (AFP) - Americans Sam Burns and Cameron Young advanced to the WGC Match Play final with extra-hole triumphs on Sunday, ousting top-ranked defending champion Scottie Scheffler and third-ranked Rory McIlroy.
Burns edged close friend Scheffler in 21 holes at Austin Country Club while Young, last year's British Open runner-up, eliminated third-ranked Rory McIlroy in 19 holes to reach the afternoon championship showdown.
Young is chasing his first PGA Tour title while Burns is trying for his fifth and hoping to become the first WGC Match Play debut winner since Australian Geoff Ogilvy in 2006.
"I'm excited," Burns said."I'm looking forward to the chance.And look forward to the challenge."
Scheffler and Young each birdied to win the 18th and force their matches into extra holes, the playoffs starting at the par-5 12th.
After Burns and Scheffler each birdied 12, Scheffler dropped his approach just outside four feet at the par-4 13th but missed the birdie putt to give Burns another chance.
At the par-4 14th, Burns sank a 14-foot birdie putt for the victory.
"Just was able to battle back and kept myself in it," Burns said."At the end of the day it came down to making putts."
Reigning Masters champion Scheffler, who won the Players Championship earlier this month, was matter-of-fact about his fate.
"It's a bit frustrating, but I put up a good fight," he said."Sam played really well."
Young's tee shot at 12 was near the lip of a fairway bunker but he blasted out, put his third shot to nine feet and made the birdie putt.
When McIlroy couldn't match him from just inside nine feet, Young had himself a berth in the final.
"It took a lot," Young said."It's just further proof I feel like I can hang with anybody in the world.Rory is one of the best of his generation if not the best."
Young birdied 16 and 18 just to have the chance at upsetting McIlroy, a four-time major winner and 2015 WGC Match Play champion.
"Feeling obviously pretty bad, 2-up with three to play, but Cam played great," McIlroy said.
"I just didn't do enough over those last four holes to close him out and when you don't do that and you're up against a player of Cam's caliber that's what's going to happen."
'Kept pounding away'
Burns seized a 3-up lead on Scheffler with birdies on the first three holes -- pitching his approach inches from the first hole, sinking a 10-foot putt at the second and dropping a 26-foot putt at the third.
Scheffler won the fifth on a Burns bogey, took the par-5 sixth with an 18-foot birdie putt then seized command by winning the eighth, ninth and 10th holes.
He holed a 34-foot putt at eight, dropped his approach to four feet at nine and even nearer the hole at 10 to grab a 2-up edge.
Burns won the 13th and 15th with birdies and landed his tee shot inches from the hole at the par-3 17th to seize a 1-up lead but Scheffler sank a five-footer to birdie and win 18 to extend the match.
Young won the third hole with a birdie from just inside nine feet but McIlroy dropped his approach to three feet to win the fifth and won the par-5 sixth with a tap-in birdie to grab the lead.
McIlroy moved 2-up with a 10-foot birdie putt to win the ninth but lost 12 with a bogey.McIlroy won 13 with a birdie put Young birdied to win the par-5 16th and birdied from just inside eight feet at 18 to equalize.
"We just kept pounding away, sticking to what we were planning to do and thankfully made the two at the end," Young said.
