Sam Burns of Shreveport, Louisiana has won the 2023 World Golf Matchplay Championships in Austin, Texas. On Sunday, he beat fellow American Cameron Young of Scarborough, New York 6&5.
It was an uneventful final, as Burns completely dominated Young, who struggled significantly with his game on Sunday afternoon. He landed in the water on the 12th and 13th holes, and lacked the success he had early in the tournament. It was the most lopsided final since 2018 when two-time Masters champion Bubba Watson of Bagdad, Florida beat fellow American Kevin Kisner of Aiken, South Carolina 7 & 6.
Doug Ferguson of the Associated Press called the final a “dud.” He was completely accurate with the term, but it was unfortunate because the semifinals on Sunday morning were fantastic and filled with drama. Burns beat world number one Scottie Scheffler on 21 holes and Young beat world number three Rory McIlroy on 19 holes.
In addition to beating Scheffler and Young, Burns beat Canada’s Adam Hadwin 3&2, 2013 Masters champion Adam Scott of Adelaide, Australia 1 up, and Ireland’s Seamus Power 2 up in Group 13 action. In the round of 16, Burns was victorious 2 &1 over American Patrick Cantlay, and then beat another Canadian in Mackenzie Hughes 3&2 in the quarterfinals.
At the end of the tournament, Burns described one word how he felt, and that was “tired.” The World Golf Matchplay Championships is different than all other events because it lasts five days, and golfers play two rounds of golf on Saturday and Sunday.
This was Burns’s fifth PGA title. He previously won the 2021 and 2022 Valspar Championship, the 2021 Sanderson Farms Championship and the 2022 Charles Schwab Challenge.
