Golf followers have been handled to an thrilling three-way playoff at this 12 months’s BMW PGA Championship.
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There might not have been a PGA Tour occasion this weekend, however that cleared the stage for the DP World Tour’s flagship occasion and the ultimate spherical of the 2024 BMW PGA Championship delivered a end that was worthy of the moniker.
By the top of 72 holes, it got here down to simply Rory McIlroy, Billy Horschel and Thriston Lawrence.
The joy heated up on No. 17, when Rory McIlroy drained a 47-foot eagle to tie the lead of Lawrence at 20 underneath. The four-time main winner, who brutally completed runner-up final week on the Irish Open, one other in a string of disappointing finishes this 12 months, then misplayed his second shot on the par-5 18th wanting the water and couldn’t stand up and all the way down to win outright.
Billy Horschel, and 12 phrases to a defeated professional that inform us one thing extra
To not be outdone, Horschel (McIroy’s taking part in companion), confirmed his flare for the dramatic, almost spinning his method shot in for eagle, settling for a birdie to hitch the sudden demise playoff alongside McIlroy and Lawrence.
Every participant discovered themselves in tough conditions on the primary playoff gap, however it was McIlroy and Horschel who bought up-and-down to each birdie 18, with Lawrence carding a bogey after his third shot discovered the penalty space.
The playoff was narrowed from three to 2 — and the stress was excessive.
After every bombed their drive into the center of the green, McIlroy flushed his method proper to the center of the inexperienced. Horschel didn’t flinch, and matched him with an equally-impressive iron shot — leaving each gamers with eagle alternatives.
After McIlroy missed his eagle strive, simply barely catching the excessive edge, Horschel canned a 20-footer for the victory — his second on this occasion, as he received again in 2021 at Wentworth as effectively, turning into the primary American to win the title twice.
Billy Horschel now a 2x champ at Wentworth. Nearly holed out for eagle at 18 in regulation to grab the title, however does it in a playoff to win. It additionally relegates Rory to a different runner up end. To the victor go the spoils. #BMWPGA pic.twitter.com/tqQI03yl8U
— Luke Elvy (@Luke_Elvy) September 22, 2024
“I’m thrilled and excited for the best way I performed — I simply battled on the market at this time,” Horschel mentioned.
The successful eagle putt ended a powerful remaining spherical for Horschel, who completed birdie-birdie simply to make the playoff, then went birdie-eagle to win the event.
“Look, I needed to have a bit luck,” Horschel mentioned. “After the bogey on No. 15, I knew I used to be just a bit bit behind the 8-ball.”
However Horschel stayed the course and trusted his sport to play excellent golf down the stretch.
“I used to be interested by going for it from the bunker in regulation, however my caddie Mike mentioned, ‘I simply don’t know, man, there’s a bit little bit of sand,’ so I laid up and trusted [his advice],” he mentioned. “There was a variety of luck on my facet to get this victory at this time.”
The victory didn’t come simple for Horschel, who mentioned he needed to actually grind on his swing all through the week.
“I haven’t felt nice with my swing all week, however yesterday felt fairly stable and this morning was an excellent heat up,” he mentioned. “At the moment it didn’t really feel proper, however, look, I grind my butt off and at all times will — I did that at this time. I hit some actually good photographs on the market, I made some actually good putts, and that’s what you must do if you’re not firing on all cylinders
After all, the elephant within the room is the heartbreaking end for McIlroy, whose season has been suffering from “almosts”. This 2nd place end follows his runner-up ultimately week’s Amgen Irish Open. Whereas neither stings as badly as the one from Pinehurst on the U.S. Open, it nonetheless offers further fodder for the critics to work with.
Rory McIlroy’s newest heartbreak got here in acquainted style
“I had my likelihood in regulation, and had an actual awkward yardage for my second [shot],” McIlroy mentioned. “I attempted to show over a 4-iron and was fortunate it didn’t go into the water.
“However two weeks in a row, I’ve performed effectively, simply not fairly effectively sufficient.”
Horschel even spoke concerning the disappointment that comes with beating a buddy.
“Rory’s a very good buddy of mine, and I feel the world of him,” Horschel added. “He’s a generational expertise and I understand how shut he’s been this 12 months, so I can really feel for him. However on the similar time, I’m fairly excited simply to have the ability to get it executed at this time.”
