• WGC-Accenture Match Play, Day Five

Mahan halts McIlroy's No. 1 charge in final

Hunter Mahan bested Rory McIlroy on Sunday © Getty Images

Enlarge

Related Links

• News: Westy licking his lips at more McIlroy battles
  
• News: McIlroy trumps Westwood to book final spot
  
• Profile: Hunter Mahan | Rory McIlroy

Rory McIlroy's bid to become the youngest ever world No. 1 was brought to an end by Hunter Mahan on Sunday, as the American played some sparkling golf to beat the 22-year-old and claim the WGC-Accenture Match Play Championship.

Needing a win to usurp Luke Donald at the top of the world rankings, McIlroy paid the price for a series of poor shots at the end of the front nine, as Mahan quickly build a lead that he would hold onto for the remainder of the match - closing out the contest on the 17th for a 2&1 success.

"I played a great back nine which was nice but I left myself too much work to do," McIlroy said. "There was a little stretch where I lost the match probably."

Both players started in equally inconsistent fashion - they had matching bogeys at the first hole to take a half, before halving the next two with birdies. At the sixth, however, the tie finally swung in Mahan's favour - as he made a birdie at the par-three to take the first lead in the match.

At the next the American appeared to have made a mistake, flying his approach shot short of the green - but McIlroy foolishly made exactly the same error before compounding it by failing to even making bogey as he handed Mahan a second successive hole in frustrating circumstances.

That seemed to stunt the Northern Irishman, who proceeded to bogey the par-five eighth to fall three-down. A birdie at the tenth then had Mahan four-up with just eight to play, although McIlroy righted the ship somewhat with a retaliatory birdie at the next to at least give himself an opportunity to make a comeback.

Another birdie at the 14th saw McIlroy add to the pressure on Mahan, before hitting the middle of the green off the tee at the driveable par-four 15th to heighten matters. Mahan proved up to the challenge that had been thrown down, however, putting his tee-shot just short of the green but putting up for a birdie and crucial half.

At the next, Mahan had a chance to close out the match but saw his birdie putt for victory lip out agonisingly. That sent the contest to the 17th - but Mahan matched McIlroy's approach shot and subsequent par to get the half he needed for a 2&1 victory and the biggest title of his career to date.

"I felt great with my game coming in, especially on the greens. I got hot there in the middle of the week and I was able to ride it out," Mahan said afterwards. "We didn't play our best stuff early, but Rory is the best player in the world right now for sure and I knew he was going to make a charge. I'm pretty proud I held on like I did."

"I didn't have my best game with me [this week]," McIlroy noted. "In the end I just left myself too much work to do."

In the third-place playoff, Mark Wilson defeated Lee Westwood one-up. McIlroy had beaten Westwood in the semi-final earlier in the day.

© ESPN Sports Media Ltd.