Rory McIlroy entered the final round at Wentworth with another chance to add to his 2014 BMW PGA Championship title. Starting two shots off the lead, he remained firmly in contention as a crowded leaderboard produced a tense Sunday finish.
J.J. Spaun began the day one shot behind leaders Manuel Elvira and Filippo Celli. He stayed within striking distance before a decisive closing charge pushed him clear of the tightly packed field.
By the end of the afternoon, Spaun had reached 17 under and McIlroy was among four players tied for second at 15 under. The result gave Spaun his first BMW PGA Championship title.
A Sunday built for legends
Wentworth Club provided a dramatic setting for the final round. Fans packed the grounds as Rory McIlroy and Adam Scott played together, with the pair starting two shots behind the leaders.
McIlroy attracted significant attention throughout the afternoon, with large galleries following his group around Wentworth. His presence was one of the major attractions of the tournament’s final day.
This was the DP World Tour’s flagship event, and McIlroy was chasing his second BMW PGA Championship title. He had not won at Wentworth since 2014, when he captured the title with a seven-shot final-round comeback.
Familiar Wentworth ghosts return again
McIlroy began the final round on 11 under par, two shots off the lead in a packed field. 20 players were within five shots of the lead heading into Sunday’s action at Wentworth Club.
He had just come off a disappointing tied-41st finish at the Amgen Irish Open. This week looked different early, with his irons finding rhythm again and giving him a genuine chance to challenge for another Wentworth title.
Yet the round carried an uncomfortable sense of déjà vu for longtime followers of his career. McIlroy had previously finished runner-up at Wentworth in 2018, 2022 and 2024 before another near miss this year.
Putting numbers tell the story
McIlroy’s ball striking kept him in contention during the final round, but his performance on the greens limited his chances to turn scoring opportunities into birdies.
He finished the tournament ranked 76th in the field for strokes gained putting. McIlroy later said he had plenty of chances and felt he hit several good putts that did not fall.
Despite shooting a final-round 68, he finished at 15 under, two strokes behind Spaun. The statistics showed a clear contrast between McIlroy’s strong ball striking and his less effective week on the greens.
Spaun charges late to steal victory
J.J. Spaun opened his final round with a bogey, but he recovered with birdies at the 4th and 5th. After a long run of pars, he had slipped behind the leaders by the time he reached the 14th tee.
Spaun then birdied the 14th, 15th, and 16th before adding another birdie at the 18th. Four birdies over his final five holes gave him a 5-under 67 and transformed the closing stretch of Wentworth’s West Course.
The surge carried him to a 17-under 271 and a two-stroke victory. Spaun became just the third American to win the BMW PGA Championship, following Arnold Palmer and two-time champion Billy Horschel.
Elvira’s heartbreak seals McIlroy’s fate
Spain’s Manuel Elvira gave the tournament one final twist before it ended in dramatic fashion. His stunning eagle on the 17th hole drew him level with Spaun, who was already finished in the clubhouse.
Needing only a birdie at the last hole to win his first DP World Tour title, Elvira found a fairway bunker with his second shot after laying up. His next shot flew over the green before he found another bunker.
A closing double bogey dropped Elvira into a four-way tie for second place on the leaderboard. That result confirmed Spaun’s victory and left McIlroy tied for runner-up once again at the Wentworth Club.
Race to Dubai stakes grow higher
Beyond the trophy itself, McIlroy had significant motivation at Wentworth. Patrick Reed arrived leading the Race to Dubai standings by 839.76 points, giving McIlroy an opportunity to close the gap.
Reed withdrew during the second round with a hand injury, opening the door for McIlroy to gain ground. A victory or an outright second-place finish would have provided enough points for McIlroy to move ahead of Reed.
McIlroy instead finished in a four-way tie for second, reducing Reed’s lead to 307.76 points. He remains behind Reed as he pursues a record-equalling eighth Race to Dubai title, with India, Abu Dhabi and Dubai among his remaining planned DP World Tour starts.
Earlier Sundays offer useful comparisons
McIlroy has experienced other high-profile final rounds in which putting played an important role. At the 2022 Open Championship at St Andrews, he hit all 18 greens in regulation during the final round but needed 36 putts and finished two strokes behind Cameron Smith.
At the 2024 U.S. Open at Pinehurst, the situation was different. McIlroy missed par putts from inside 4 feet on the 16th and 18th holes during the closing stretch and finished one stroke behind Bryson DeChambeau.
Those results provide context for Wentworth without treating every loss as the same type of putting problem. Each tournament unfolded differently, even though missed opportunities on the greens featured in all three.
Little-known fact: In 2004, when Rory was 15, his father Gerry placed a bet at 500-to-1 odds that his son would win The Open before turning 26. McIlroy won at Royal Liverpool in 2014, making the wager a winner.
McIlroy focuses on the positives
McIlroy did not dwell solely on the missed opportunities after his round. He said he had chances during the day but also felt encouraged by the overall state of his game.
He specifically pointed to the quality of his ball striking, saying he had hit the ball very well during the final round. His comments suggested that the performance gave him useful momentum despite missing out on the title.
McIlroy also remained focused on the wider season, including his pursuit of Patrick Reed in the Race to Dubai standings. The Wentworth result reduced Reed’s lead and kept that season-long battle very much alive.
TL;DR
- McIlroy finished tied second at the BMW PGA Championship, still chasing his first Wentworth win since 2014.
- J.J. Spaun birdied four of his last five holes for a 17-under 271 and a two-stroke win.
- McIlroy ranked 76th in the field for strokes gained putting after missing several birdie opportunities.
- Manuel Elvira’s double bogey on 18 sealed the title for Spaun after Elvira’s eagle on 17 had tied him for the lead.
- McIlroy remains behind Patrick Reed in the Race to Dubai, with three DP World Tour events remaining in his season.
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This article was made with AI assistance and human editing.
