25 March 2023 , 22:58
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Cameron Young was told by Sky Sports commentator Dame Laura Davies to apologise to his opponent after a huge slice of luck at the WGC-Dell Match Play.
Young, 25, has played some incredible golf at the $20million showpiece tournament to reach the knockout stages in Texas this week. But he relied on extraordinary good fortunate to maintain his momentum in his quarter-final clash against fellow American Kurt Kitayama at the Austin Country Club on Saturday.
Still chasing his first PGA Tour victory, Young took early control of his match against Kitayama, who recently claimed his own maiden title on the American circuit at the Arnold Palmer Invitational.
Young had taken a 3-up lead over Kitayama heading into the back nine, but pulled his tee shot way left at the par-3 11th.
But he then saw his ball somehow bounce back off the mounds and roll to within inches of the pin for a tap-in birdie, in what is already being deemed one of the luckiest shots of the season.
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"How fortunate is this?" lead commentator Ewen Murray reacted on Sky Sports. "Sometimes being good isn't enough... surely not," he added, as Young inadvertently came close to a fluke hole-in-one.
And veteran Davies joked that Young had a duty to apologise to Kitayama at such a crucial juncture in the match. "Well, what can you say... he should say sorry really, in match play that's rude!"
To Kitayama's credit, he responded emphatically with a birdie of his own to keep tabs with Young, before staging a fine comeback as he took the tie all the way to the 18th.
But Young, who played the front nine in just 27 shots earlier in the week, held his nerve with a par to seal a huge victory at the last and set up a tantalising semi-final Sunday showdown with Rory McIlroy.
Young will meet McIlroy in the semi-finals on SundayWorld no. 3 McIlroy secured his own last four spot in a classic duel against Ryder Cup rival Xander Schauffele, sinking a clutch birdie putt at the last to finally down the accomplished American.
The four-time major winner is on a collision course for a meeting with Scottie Scheffler in the final, after the world no.1 set up a semi-final clash against close friend Sam Burns with a rousing comeback to defeat resurgent Australian Jason Day.