American Billy Horschel beat Irishman Rory McIlroy on the second playoff hole to win his second BMW PGA Championship title. The 2021 champ holed a long putt for eagle while McIlroy could only manage a birdie to take the victory after the pair finished regulation at 20-under par.
Embed from Getty ImagesSouth African Thristan Lawrence also finished at 20-under but was eliminated after the first playoff hole as he put his third shot into the water. Billy and Rory made birdies, meaning they had to return to the 18th tee until a winner was decided. The pair found the fairway and then the heart of the green in two on the par five. McIlroy narrowly missed his eagle chance on the high side before Horschel trickled his putt into the centre of the cup to secure the win.
Billy Horschel and Rory McIlroy were in the final three-ball on Sunday alongside Matteo Mannasero. The Italian held a three-shot lead before play began but made a shaky start to his round. And he never really got going as the pack hunted him down. He ended up shooting a one-over par 73 to fall out of contention.
Aaron Rai jumped from 12-under as he went out in 30 on the front nine. He was in with a chance of winning or being in the playoff, but he hit his second shot on the 18th into the water, ending his chances.
Thristan Lawrence, who finished 4th at this year’s Open Championship, also made a charge in the final round. He shot a bogey-free 65 to find himself in the three-way playoff.
Billy Horschel knew he needed a birdie to have a chance on the 72nd hole but was forced to lay up from the fairway bunker. He then nearly holed out with his third shot, which spun back past the hole. He holed the birdie putt to get to 20-under.
Embed from Getty ImagesMcIlroy holed an incredible eagle putt on the 17th to get to 20-under, so a birdie on the 18th would have been enough for the win in regulation. He unintentionally hit his second shot short of the water, leaving himself a tough pitch with little green to work with. He could only get it to 16 feet and missed the putt for the win.
Despite making birdie on both the playoff holes, Rory still came out second-best due to Horschel’s brilliance. Billy Ho was money on the greens all weekend long. He made seven birdies on Saturday and holed 130 feet of putts in those seven holes, averaging nearly 20 feet a hole. And another long out won him the tournament in the end.
Heartbreak again for Rory McIlroy that bookends a year that could have been. He has won three times on the PGA and DP World Tour but has also been agonisingly close on several occasions. The US Open at Pinehurst will hurt the most, but he has come close in the last two weeks. At his home Irish Open last Sunday, he led going into the final round only to lose by one shot. He lost on the second playoff hole this week after not doing much wrong all week. McIlroy did not seem too downhearted post-round at Wentworth; instead, he adopted a positive outlook on where his game was.
Embed from Getty ImagesBilly Horschel secured his second BMW PGA title in the last four editions and relayed how much he loves this championship. He has said before that, to him, this is the biggest tournament outside the four majors. The American, an avid West Ham fan, certified by his claret bag, loves playing overseas, particularly in England. He has supported the DP World Tour and, in turn, has played some magnificent golf. Billy came close at the Open Championship in July, and although this win won’t quite make up for that loss, it comes close.
Another year at Wentworth for the BMW PGA Championship and another successful tournament for all involved. The fans were treated to a bride fest despite the damp weather for most of the weekend, and it culminated in an enthralling sudden-death playoff between two of the game’s biggest names. You could not have written a better script unless you’re a Rory McIlroy fan.
