Weekend Wrap: Horschel Takes BMW PGA In A Playoff
He prevents McIlroy from winning DP World Tour's marquee stop. Plus, will Rahm's "severe flu" impact Ryder quest, PGA clarifies policy, Pattinson drives in, remembering Huggett and Green Sr.
Billy Horschel captured his second BMW PGA Championship in four years after holing an eagle putt on the second playoff hole to defeat Rory McIlroy and Thriston Lawrence.
A day after posting seven straight birdies, Horschel cleverly stuck around a packed leaderboard where Lawrence finally took a two-stroke lead late in his round, only to McIlroy tie the South African with a dramatic eagle at the 17th.
Playing alongside McIlroy Sunday, Horschel birdied the last two holes to reach 20-under-par and join a playoff that would play Wentworth’s over-engineered par 5 18th.
Lawrence eliminated himself after the first playoff hole with a poor drive and better play by his opponents who each holed birdie putts. The second time the clunky dogleg right, hit mammoth drives to set up irons into the green. McIlroy narrowly missed his eagle try, setting up another long putt made by Horschel.
“The putter has been good,” Horschel said. “I feel I'm one of the best putters in the world. Once I start seeing one or two go in, it start fuelling my confidence even more and I had to rely on it.”
Co-runner-up at July’s Open Championship, Horschel was passed over for a Captain’s pick into this week’s Presidents Cup. But he continues to enjoy playing in Europe in the PGA Tour off-season as the Florida man has in recent years.
“I've made the effort and shown how much I love it over here,” he said. “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.”
As for beating the crowd favorite in McIlroy, Horschel understood their disappointment.
“I think he's the best player in our generation,” Horschel said. “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 for the game of golf.”
McIlroy took another tough loss in his usual classy manner.
“Two weeks in a row, I've played well,” he said in reference to a one-shot loss at the Amgen Irish Open. “Just not quite well enough. But you know, happy with where my game is and happy where it's trending.”
He modestly noted his fortune in merely reaching the playoff. McIlroy attempted to go for the 18th in regulation only to come up short of the water.
“Tried to turn a four-iron over,” he said. “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 playoff.”
The agonizing loss once again forced McIlroy to reflect on a cruel pattern of playing extraordinarily well for 70 or holes only to make a late mistake or to watch a competitor pull off the extraordinary.
“Look, it’s golf and I’m playing well,” the 35-year-old is quoted as saying by The Guardian. “These things happen. It’s just the game is testing me a little more than it has done in the past but that’s fine. All I can do is keep showing up and trying to play the golf that I’ve been playing and sooner or later it’s going to end up in a win.
“The nice thing is there’s next year and the year after and the year after and the year after. If you think of my career as a 30-year journey, it’s only one year in a 30-year journey, and hopefully the other 29 are a little more productive or a little bit better. I have certainly had years where I’ve felt worse.”
Besides robbing the home crowd of a win by their favorite golfer, there was also Horschel’s harried attempt at enjoying a backstop.
On the first hole of sudden death, McIlroy finished over the green in two while Horschel landed in the right greenside bunker. After Lawrence hit a third shot on to the par 5’s water-guarded green, Horschel appeared to play faster than normal with hopes of using Lawrence’s ball as a backstop. But as the eventual champion was over his ball set to take the club back, referee Mark Litton called out Horschel’s name. Horschel turned in disbelief only to be advised to wait until Lawrence could put a coin down behind the ball.
