MARANA, Ariz. – Breezy winds and cool temperatures at The Golf Club at Dove Mountain in Marana, Arizona could not prevent Matt Kuchar of the United States from winning the 2013 World Golf Championships (WGC)–Accenture Match Play Championship. In a solid display of match play, Kuchar decisively defeated countryman and defending champion Hunter Mahan 2 and 1.
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Kuchar was the last man standing from a field of 64 of the world’s best who gathered to compete in the marquee Accenture Match Play Championship, making the five days of the single elimination head-to head event one of the most exciting weeks in golf. Once again golf’s global summit drew a strong field that included 43 international players and 21 Americans, representing a total of 17 countries.
“I find match play to be such an amazing, unique format, so much fun to play and so much pressure,” said the 2013 Accenture champion. “It seems like at each hole there's so much momentum riding and so much pressure on every hole. To come out on top after six matches of playing guys, the top 64 guys in the world, it's an incredible feeling.”
Winning his first Accenture Match Play Championship, Kuchar earned the $1.5 million first place prize and lifted the prestigious Walter Hagen Cup, emblematic of the world’s greatest match-play competitor. Mahan takes home the $875,000 second place money.
Mahan and Kuchar defeated their semifinal opponents by the identical score of 4 and 3 to advance to the title match, setting up the seventh all-American championship title match in the 15-year history of the storied WGC event and first since 2008. Mahan dispatched former Accenture winner Ian Poulter (2010) of England and Kuchar eliminated Australian Jason Day.
Going 1 down in his semifinal was the first time Kuchar trailed in a match since the fourth hole of round one. But the deficit didn’t last long as he finally took command and closed out the match after 15 holes to advance to his first ever title match. He had two close calls in 2011 and 2012 when he finished third and tied for fifth respectively in the Accenture tournament. Kuchar improves his Accenture Match Play Championship record to 15-3.
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Matt Kuchar of the United States holds high the Walter Hagen Cup as winner of the 2013 Accenture Match Play Championship. Kuchar defeated countryman and former Accenture champion Hunter Mahan 2 and 1 in the final match. |
Mahan took a 1-up lead in his semifinal match against Poulter, then gave that lead back with a bogey on No. 4 before gathering himself and retaining the lead for a comfortable win, needing only 15 holes before advancing to the championship round.
In the tightly contested consolation match, Day defeated Poulter 1 up to earn the $615,000 third place money while Poulter takes home $500,000 for fourth. The Aussie was losing to the Englishman by as much as 2 down through the first seven holes before making a birdie on No. 8 to square the match. Day went 1 up at No. 9 to stay ahead for the remainder of the match.
The marquee Accenture Match Play Championship is part of the prestigious World Golf Championships, a series of global events that bring the world’s best golfers together in competition in different formats at a variety of venues. This global event captures the spirit and culture of Accenture—to continually achieve through the very best performance, and then raise the bar even higher. Follow the action and view live scoring updates on www.worldgolfchampionships.com.