Billy Horschel has forced Rory McIlroy to accept another near miss by prevailing in a playoff to win the BMW PGA Championship.
On a wet but pulsating day at Wentworth, the American recorded a final-round 67 to take him to the top of the leaderboard alongside McIlroy and Thriston Lawrence.
Each of the latter players missed putts to win the flagside event of the PGA Tour, while Horschel impressively got up and down on the 18th.
South Africa's Lawrence made a mess of the first playoff hole, leaving Horschel and McIlroy to make their way back up that hole for a head-to-head between two in-form players.
With the pair making the green in two and left with similar-length putts, it remained in the balance, but Horschel did what McIlroy could not do and hole out from distance to claim his second win at this tournament, the other coming in 2021.
The eagle lands for @BillyHo_Golf 💪
— DP World Tour (@DPWorldTour) September 22, 2024
He makes eagle on the second play-off hole to beat McIlroy after the Northern Irishman made birdie. #BMWPGA | #RolexSeries pic.twitter.com/QOnelwFomu
"I needed some luck"
Speaking afterwards, Horschel acknowledged that he rode his luck to a certain degree to secure the win that will lead to a return to the world's top 20.
He said: "I'm thrilled and excited for the way I played. At the same time I'm a little disappointed - Rory is a great friend of mine and he's a generational talent. I know how close he's been this year so I can feel for him.
"I needed a bit of luck. There was a lot of luck on my side to get this victory today."
McIlroy also finished runner-up at last week's Irish Open, while his capitulation on the final two holes at the US Open in June is still fresh in the memory.
"I know I'm not from the UK or London or England, but I feel almost at home when I come here."
— DP World Tour (@DPWorldTour) September 22, 2024
Billy ❤️ Wentworth #BMWPGA | #RolexSeries pic.twitter.com/DNNcxJtZ8y
Who else finished where?
Matteo Manassero had led heading into the closing 18 holes, only to produce a a round of 73 to finish on 17-under-par, three shots adrift of the aforementioned trio.
Aaron Rai and Matthew Baldwin also ended the tournament in a share of fourth, with Antoine Rozner, Ugo Coussard and Niklas Norgaard all in a tie for seventh.
Marcus Armitage, now down at 352nd in the World Golf Rankings, earned a morale-boosting 10th place alongside Northern Ireland's Tom McKibbin.
