Noren claims second BMW PGA after playoff; McKibbin
Alex Noren. Picture: DP World Tour
Ryder Cup assistant captain Alex Noren birdied the first playoff hole to beat France’s Adrien Saddier and capture the BMW PGA Championship for the second time.
It was the second win in 21 days for the Swedish star, who first captured the DP World Tour’s flagship event in 2017.
The pair went into the final round tied for the lead on 15-under par, two strokes ahead of England’s Tyrrell Hatton.
Noren (43) turned in one-under on a showery final day to lead by a shot from the French star (33), who also had the 54-hole lead in last week’s Amgen Irish Open but faded to joint fifth after a closing 74.
After starting with nine pars in a row, Saddier birdied the 10th to draw level.
Noren birdied the 12th and 13th, but Saddier birdied the 13th and 14th to remain tied.
Noren looked to have the edge when he made a 22-footer for birdie at the 17th, but Saddier followed him in from 10 feet for birdie to set up a grandstand finish at the par-five 18th.
Heavy rain fell as they played the 18th and neither player could make birdie and they carded four-under 68s to tie on 19-under, three clear of American Patrick Reed and England’s Aaron Rai.
Saddier had failed in his attempt to his the 72nd green in two and after both were fortunate to come up short of the stream with their approaches to the 18th in sudden-death, it was Noren who got up and down from the left rough to win.
Saddier’s pitch ran to the back of the green and after failing from around 20 feet for birdie, he watched Noren brush in a two footer for his 12th DP World Tour victory.
“I don't know; it’s so many emotions right now,” said Noren, who ended his seven year victory drought in the Betfred British Masters at the Belfry three weeks ago.
“In the playoff it felt a little bit easier than maybe coming down the 72nd hole, a little bit better conditions.
“I thought I hit that one in the water, but I had a great lie, so I tried to put it up there on the right side of the green, but then I got fortunate with a good break.
“The chip was sitting quite nicely. I saw his ball didn't catch as nice of a break, maybe. So it makes a difference.”
Noren now heads to Bethpage Black as a Ryder Cup assistant captain, admitting his run of hot form came too late,
“I think the other guys have played better than me throughout the year,” Noren said. “I put in great results now the last month, when it came a little bit too late.
“So I think the guys on the team are going to be fantastic. And I'm really looking forward to that match, more than, I don't know, in a long time.”
Hatton shot 70 and Matt Fitzpatrick a 67 to tie for fifth on 15-under while Tom McKibbin was the best of the Irish, a shot further back in joint 11th after a final round 66.
McKibbin moves up 11 spots to 135th in the world and nine places to 56th in the Race to Dubai from just nine starts.
Jon Rahm also shot 66 to finish 13th on 13-under and jump to 56th in the Race to Dubai as Rory McIlroy made two eagles and five birdies a 64 to tie for 20th with Ludvig Aberg, who shot 70, on 12-under.
Rahm, who will also play the Open de España, is now on course to make the top 70 who contest the first playoff event in Abu Dhabi.
Shane Lowry fired a 71 and Tommy Fleetwood a 67 to share 46th on eight under as Justin Rose slipped to 61st on six under after a final round 73.
The 11 Ryder Cup players who played at Wentworth jet out to NewYork on Sunday night for a two-day practice trip at Bethpage, where they will be joined by Sepp Straka.
McIlroy was pleased to head to New York on a positive note.
“There's been a lot of talk and a lot of chat and a lot of thinking about the Ryder Cup,” he said. “But you still want to play well this week. I saw glimpses of that.
“There was a lot of birdies and eagles and just a few too many bogeys and double-bogeys to have a chance to win but overall, happy with the week and obviously very excited for what's to come in a couple weeks' time.”
