The punches keep coming Rory McIlroy’s way. And, again, the vanquished, heartbreak doesn’t get any easier. Not when you’re cast as the fall guy. For the second week running, the Northern Irishman had to grin and bear it in playing second fiddle, this time as Billy Horschel’s eagle at the second hole of sudden-death earned the American the BMW PGA Championship at Wentworth.
One dramatic scene followed another on a final day in the Surrey stockbroker belt that offered high upon high, until Horschel’s final act delivered a second title over the West Course. The two – along with South African Thriston Lawrence – had finished level through 72-holes on 20-under-par 268 to force sudden-death strokeplay.
Lawrence departed stage left on the first playoff hole after an adventurous route up the 18th that included his approach to the green spinning back into the water hazard to seal his fate.
At the second playoff hole, again the par-5 18th, McIlroy and Horschel found the green in two. McIlroy’s eagle putt from 21 feet narrowly missed on the low side, but Horschel’s was arrow straight and he was raising both arms to the heavens before the ball disappeared into the cup.
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For a second straight week, following his runner-up finish to Rasmus Hojgaard in the Amgen Irish Open, and then to Horschel at Wentworth, the golfing gods denied McIlroy.
“You know, last week was a tough one. But I left there with my head held high with the way I played the last hole trying to make three, and then yeah, I mean, [here] I played the playoff holes perfectly, really, a couple of birdies.
“But it just shows the standard out here. If you slip up just a little bit or don’t make a birdie on a crucial hole, someone is always waiting to take advantage of that and look, I had my chance in regulation,” admitted McIlroy, where a birdie on the 18th – the 72nd hole – would have earned him the outright win without the need for playoff holes.
On that occasion, he’d turned over a 4-iron approach from 253 yards into rough short of the hazard and could only manage a par.
“I was lucky that it didn’t go in the water ... I was pretty lucky the ball stayed up and I could make par and get into the playoff,” said McIlroy of that approach, where he was between numbers on his club and tried to force the iron.
“That’s two weeks in a row, I’ve played well, just not quite well enough. But you know, I’m happy with where my game is and happy where it’s trending. I’ve got a week off here, and then get back at it in the Dunhill [Links] in a couple weeks,” added McIlroy, who had the consolation, for what it is worth, of adding €697,260 to his earnings and further strengthened his position atop the Race to Dubai order of merit where he is aiming to claim a sixth Harry Vardon Trophy and close in on the record eight of Colin Montgomerie.
Horschel added this title to his 2021 win at European Tour HQ – both Horschel and McIlroy closed with 67s, Lawrence a 65 – and, in true sporting spirit, embraced McIlroy on the home green after his eagle denied the world number three.
“Rory is a good friend of mine and I think the world of him. I think he’s a generational talent and I know how close he’s been this year so I can feel for him, but at the same time I’m pretty excited for being able to get it done today. I grind my butt off, I always do and always will. I got at every shot, I ground it out and did that today. I hit some really good shots out there and made some really good putts, that’s what you have to do when you aren’t firing on all cylinders,” said Horschel, who rebounded from a bogey on the 15th hole with birdies on the 17th and 18th to get into the playoff where he prevailed.
Tom McKibbin’s final round 66 for 13-under-par 275 earned him a tied-10th finish and moved him up three places to 14th on the updated order of merit as he targets a PGA Tour card for next season, while Shane Lowry and Pádraig Harrington finished in tied-12th on 12-under-par 276.
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