UPDATE 3-Golf-Kisner beats Kuchar in final of WGC-Match Play in Texas

Kevin Kisner shrugged off his bridesmaid's tag by beating Matt Kuchar in the final of the WGC-Dell Technologies Match Play in Texas on Sunday.

A year after losing the decider to Bubba Watson, 48th seed Kisner proved too good for Kuchar, never trailing in a scrappy all-American final in which birdies proved elusive at Austin Country Club. "I don't think either one of us played our best golf but I drove it great all week," Kisner said after prevailing 3&2 for his third win on the PGA Tour. He has finished runner-up eight times.

"It might be the hardest one (to win) just because you have the physical aspect more than any other week. "It was gruelling, and the winds were tough. Overall it was a long week but I prevailed and am a world golf champion."

He added that he had learned from last year's final not to get "too amped up". Kisner is the first player to win the championship after losing his opening match.

He went down to Ian Poulter on Wednesday, but bounced back to beat Tony Finau and Keith Mitchell in the round-robin phase and progress out of his group. In the knockout stage he downed Li Haotong (6&5), Louis Oosthuizen (2&1) and Francesco Molinari (1-up).

The 35-year-old is proving a player for the big occasion. He shared the lead starting the final round at the British Open last year, before finishing equal second. Italian seventh seed Molinari won the match for third place, 4&2 over Lucas Bjerregaard of Denmark.

In the semi-finals earlier in the day, Kisner upset Molinari 1-up, while Kuchar won by the same margin when he edged Bjerregaard on a chilly morning. (Reporting by Andrew Both in Cary, North Carolina; Editing by Ken Ferris/Greg Stutchbury)