WENTWORTH (Reuters) — Billy Horschel won the BMW PGA Championship after beating Rory McIlroy and Thriston Lawrence in a thrilling three-man playoff at Wentworth on Sunday to take home the winner’s cheque of $1.53 million.
The trio finished at 20-under overall and in the first playoff at the event in 11 years, Lawrence fell first when he bogeyed the 18th after finding the water, leaving Horschel and McIlroy to fight it out for the title.
McIlroy was looking to win it for a second time after lifting the trophy in 2014 and he birdied the 18th once again, but Horschel kept his nerve and sank a stunning eagle putt to become the first American to win the event twice.
“I am thrilled, excited for the way I played. At the same time, I am a little disappointed. Rory is a really good friend of mine, he is a generational talent and he has been so close this year,” said Horschel, who also won the event in 2021.
“I feel for him but I am also excited… There was a lot of luck on my side to get this victory today. I will give my all on every shot and grind it out and that is what I did today.
“That is what you have to do when you are not firing on all cylinders.”
South Africa’s Lawrence was five shots off the lead heading into the final round and he carded seven birdies, including a superb putt from 26 feet at the 16th.
McIlroy had also been playing catch-up all day having finished the third round three strokes behind and he made it count on the 17th when he holed a superb eagle putt from over 46 feet to share the lead.
Lawrence had the chance to finish with a birdie but his putt on the 18th green fell agonisingly short and he finished at 20-under, waiting to see how McIlroy and Horschel would fare.
McIlroy dodged a bullet when his approach found the rough near the water on the par-five 18th. Although he chipped it over the water to set up a birdie, he only managed a par.
Horschel had the chance to take the title with an eagle and he sank to his knees when he just missed the hole and birdied the 18th to force a three-way playoff, where he even chipped the ball out of a bunker to stay in contention.
For McIlroy, it was a second event in as many weeks where he narrowly missed out on the title after losing the Irish Open to Rasmus Hojgaard by one stroke.