Billy Horschel lifted the BMW PGA Championship trophy for the second time after seeing off Thriston Lawrence and Rory McIlroy in a thrilling play-off at Wentworth Club.
Related: Manassero leads Sunday chasing pack of McIlroy, Horschel
The 2021 champion had been a picture of consistency at the famous Surrey venue, carding four rounds in the 60s, including a career-best seven straight birdies on Saturday.
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The American, who nearly holed out his third shot at the par-five last, ended with a birdie-birdie finish to climb alongside Lawrence and McIlroy at 20 under before the trio returned to the 18th tee for the play-off.
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The South African blinked first after a wayward tee-shot and then found the fairway bunker and water to be the first eliminated as McIlroy and Horschel calmly rolled in birdies to force a second extra hole.
They both found the green in two before McIlroy narrowly slid by his eagle effort, before Horschel holed a stunning eagle putt of his own to win the Rolex Series event for the second time in four years.
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English pair Matthew Baldwin and Aaron Rai finished in a tie for third at 17 under par, with 2013 BMW PGA Champion Matteo Manassero, who continued his career renaissance with an impressive week at Wentworth. Frenchmen Ugo Coussaud, Antoine Rozner and Dane Niklas Norgaard were then one shot further back.
McIlroy remains out in front in the Race to Dubai Rankings in Partnership with Rolex, with Lawrence and Horschel now his closest challengers for the season-long honours.
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Player quotes
Billy Horschel: My heart was pounding on the last couple shots, the last couple holes, and especially in the play-off but it’s always fun being in those situations. That’s what we work so hard for. That’s what I’ve worked so hard for, and that’s what I’ve always wanted to be, in situations like that, going against the best players in the world and hopefully be able to come out on top on the day. I was able to nip Rory and Thriston and come away with the victory.
Feels amazing. I’m excited. I’m thrilled. I’m speechless. I can’t put into words, you know, how this — what this moment means to me, and it still hasn’t actually sunk in, but yeah, I mean, it was a special, special tournament that I love to death, and to come out as a two-time champion, you know, I’m just over the moon.
The putter has been good. I feel I’m one of the best putters in the word. Once I start seeing one or two go in, it start fuelling my confidence even more and I had to rely on it. Because like I said I didn’t stripe it or strike it as well as I would have wanted. I had to make a lot of 20-footers for birdies everything and. But it bailed me out when I needed it.
Yeah, he’s (Rory) a really good friend. We go back to Walker Cup in 2007, our head-to-head days. I think the world of him. I think he’s the best player in our generation. He’s done so much for the game. You see the support he has here; you see the support he has around the world. He has the most crowds and supporters outside of Tiger Woods. He’s great I think for the game of golf. He does so many great things.
I’m a fan of golf at heart. I do play professionally on the PGA TOUR and DP World Tour but I am a golf fan and I want to see great golf and I want to see the top players play well and win, and I know he’s been close a lot this year. He has not been able to get it done and you feel for someone like that. I do feel for him a little bit that it was another opportunity that he wasn’t able to get it done, but at the same time, you know, to battle him head-to-head and with other guys on the last play-off hole, I wouldn’t want it any other way.
It’s heartwarming, it really is. I believe that I’ve shown the appreciation to come over here. I’ve made the effort and shown how much I love it over here. I appreciate the fans and all the support, and in return they have given me tons of love, whether it’s here or at The Open Championship. The support that I receive when I come over here is really second-to-none, close to compared to maybe the state of Florida when I play.
It’s always one of my most special weeks of the year. I enjoy coming here. I feel a sense of ease. I feel a sense of calm. I know I’m not from the UK or London or England, but I feel almost at home when I come here.
Rory McIlroy: I mean, you know, last week was a tough one. This 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, played the play-off 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. Had a really awkward yardage for my second. Tried to turn a four-iron over. I mean, I was lucky that it didn’t go in the water. Still got up-and-down to win in regulation but I was pretty lucky the ball stayed up and I could make par and get into the play-off.
Two weeks in a row, I’ve played well. Just not quite well enough. But you know, 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 in a couple weeks.
