Billy Horschel birdies 18th to win 2021 BMW PGA Championship (image: Getty Images)
After a dramatic final round on Sunday, American Billy Horschel has won the 2021 BMW PGA Championship with a score of 19-under. He wins by a single stroke over Kiradech Aphibarnrat, Laurie Canter and Jamie Donaldson, after carding a final round 65 on the West Course at The Wentworth Club.
This is Horschel's second win on the European Tour and second this season, his first being the 2021 WGC Dell Technologies Match Play. With this win, Horschel moves from 4th to 2nd in the Race to Dubai Rankings. He also becomes the first American golfer to win a Rolex event on the European Tour.
HORSCHEL THE FINISHER
Horschel started his Sunday not far off the lead at 12-under and in the second-to-last pairing. Knowing he needed to start off well, Horschel did just that, birding holes 3, 4 and 6 before heading to the back nine. After birdies on 11, 12 and a clutch putt on 15, Horschel found himself tied for the lead with three holes left.
But Horschel would par the par 4 16th and par 5 17th holes. Onto the par 5 18th hole he went, which historically has been the site of much drama in the past. Opting to play for a birdie, Horschel layed up with his second shot. With 90 yards left to the hole and a wedge in hand, Horschel nearly holed out from the fairway, his ball stopping a couple of feet from the hole for an easy birdie. One birdie was all that was needed though, as no one else was able to break the 18-under barrier.
Horschel's rounds were admittedly far from perfect, in his own words, carding scores of 70, 65, 69 and 65, but it was the back nine where Horschel made an impact. Over his four rounds, he played the back nine alone at 17-under with no bogeys and managed to birdie the 18th hole everyday except Saturday.
For those who do not watch the European Tour often, the eliteness and importance of the BMW PGA Championship may be lost on them. This is not the case for Horschel however. Earlier in the week, Horschel said in an interview that he equated the BMW PGA Championship to the Players Championship, in terms of importance and prestige. This was something he reiterated upon winning the tournament. Horschel also stated that he loves playing overseas on the European Tour and plans to return for the Alfred Dunhil Links Championship at the end of September and the DP World Tour Championship in November.
Horschel's win this week caps off an impressive month of golf for him, after a 9th place finish in the FedEx Cup Playoffs. His performance was a week too short for US Ryder Cup Captain Steve Stricker, who did not select Horschel as a captain's pick for the upcoming Ryder Cup. There's still hope for him though, as team member Brooks Koepka is still questionable after an injury during the FedEx Cup Playoffs.
HOW DID OUR PICKS FINISH?
It wasn't looking too good for our "older" picks but here's how they finished:
1) Richard Bland: T57 at 3-under
2) Francesco Molinari: T35 at 7-under
3) Ian Poulter: CUT
Surely a frustrating week for our picks. It was also revealed by Molinari that he will most likely miss the Ryder Cup this year after a lingering back issue. Let's hope this changes, as many of us desperately want to see the famous Fleetwood-Molinari pairing again!
***
That concludes our coverage of the 2021 BMW PGA Championship. Yet again, this illustrious tournament failed to disappoint, with amazing drama and exciting storylines.
Next week, our coverage will travel back over the pond for the start of the 2021-2022 PGA Tour season with the 2021 Fortinet Championship. Stay tuned for our preview of the season, the tournament and our picks.
-Nick
Toronto Golf Reviews
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