J.J. Spaun wins BMW PGA Championship after shocking collapse from Manuel Elvira
J.J. Spaun claimed the DP World Tour's flagship event at Wentworth.
America's J.J. Spaun claimed the BMW PGA Championship after Spain's Manuel Elvira endured an almighty collapse at the last.
Spaun birdied four of his final five holes on the West Course to card a 5-under 67 and post the clubhouse target of 17-under.
Elvira looked destined for a play-off at worst with the former U.S. Open champion when he made an eagle on the penultimate hole but he unravelled in dramatic fashion at the 18th and made a devastating double bogey.
The 30-year-old opted for an iron off the tee, found a fairway bunker with his approach, then missed the green long before duffing his third shot back into the sand. Once he escaped, he took two further putts.
For Spaun, the victory will send a clear message to United States Presidents Cup captain Brandt Snedeker, who chose to omit the 36-year-old from his 12-man squad that will take on Geoff Ogilvy's International side next week in Chicago.
Elvira, who choked back tears by the 18th green, finished in a four-way tie for second alongside major champions Aaron Rai, Adam Scott and Rory McIlroy.
Position | Player | Score |
1 | JJ Spaun | -17 |
2 | Aaron Rai | -15 |
2 | Adam Scott | -15 |
2 | Rory McIlroy | -15 |
2 | Manuel Elvira | -15 |
6 | Joost Luiten | -14 |
6 | Matt Fitzpatrick | -14 |
6 | Ryan Fox | -14 |
6 | Filippo Celli | -14 |
10 | Andy Sullivan | -13 |
10 | Joakim Lagergren | -13 |
10 | Guido Migliozzi | -13 |
10 | Matt Wallace | -13 |
10 | Robert MacIntyre | -13 |
15 | Sepp Straka | -12 |
15 | Ross Fisher | -12 |
15 | Jeff Winther | -12 |
15 | Alex Noren | -12 |
15 | Johannes Veerman | -12 |
15 | Alejandro Del Rey | -12 |
21 | Alex Fitzpatrick | -11 |
21 | Eugenio Chacarra | -11 |
21 | Paul Waring | -11 |
21 | Shane Lowry | -11 |
21 | Jordan Smith | -11 |
21 | Joaquin Niemann | -11 |
27 | Tyrrell Hatton | -10 |
27 | Freddy Schott | -10 |
27 | Marcus Armitage | -10 |
27 | Viktor Hovland | -10 |
27 | Yuto Katsuragawa | -10 |
27 | Ryan Gerard | -10 |
27 | Ludvig Åberg | -10 |
27 | Sam Bairstow | -10 |
27 | Davis Bryant | -10 |
36 | Rasmus Neergaard-Petersen | -9 |
36 | Daniel Hillier | -9 |
36 | Jayden Schaper | -9 |
39 | Sean Crocker | -8 |
39 | David Puig | -8 |
39 | Marcus Helligkilde | -8 |
39 | Adrian Otaegui | -8 |
39 | Kristoffer Reitan | -8 |
44 | Frederic Lacroix | -7 |
44 | Shaun Norris | -7 |
44 | Danny Willett | -7 |
44 | Rafa Cabrera Bello | -7 |
44 | David Law | -7 |
44 | Charley Hoffman | -7 |
44 | Nacho Elvira | -7 |
51 | Justin Rose | -6 |
51 | Matthew Jordan | -6 |
51 | Angel Ayora | -6 |
51 | Ricardo Gouveia | -6 |
51 | Romain Langasque | -6 |
56 | Martin Couvra | -5 |
56 | Joe Dean | -5 |
56 | Yurav Premlall | -5 |
56 | Ewen Ferguson | -5 |
56 | Kazuma Kobori | -5 |
56 | Niklas Lemke | -5 |
62 | Kota Kaneko | -4 |
62 | Marcus Kinhult | -4 |
62 | Alex Smalley | -4 |
62 | Francesco Laporta | -4 |
62 | Adrien Saddier | -4 |
62 | Adrian Meronk | -4 |
68 | Junghwan Lee | -3 |
68 | Francesco Molinari | -3 |
70 | Niklas Nørgaard | -2 |
71 | Oihan Guillamoundeguy | -1 |
72 | Nicolai von Dellingshausen | +1 |
"I played with a huge chip on my shoulder," said Spaun of his omission.
"I definitely had something to prove this week. But everything happens for a reason. I'm so delighted to be here and just to even play this event.
"I've always wanted to play for the longest of time. The extra motivation, I think that is the willpower that you kind of have.
"And being left off the Presidents Cup team a couple weeks ago was very disappointing, and you know, I wanted to prove that I deserve to be on that team.
"I took care of my business this week. So all the best to the team next week at Medinah and I'll be watching."
Spaun hit the turn in 1-under. He navigated the 10th to the 14th in level par but caught fire from the 14th.
"I knew the whole day I had to stay patient because of the closing stretch at Wentworth because you could go eagle, eagle and you could also go bogey, bogey," said Spaun.
"I just kept telling myself to stay patient, be as close as you can without forcing too many errors early on, after bogeying the first hole, I kind of rebounded with a couple nice birdies.
"The back nine has been good to me. I played better on the back nine. I knew once I could get through the front I could makeup some ground."
Spaun's career has been on an upward trajectory since he was defeated by the aforementioned McIlroy in a play-off last March at the Players Championship.
He overcame the brilliance of Robert MacIntyre at Oakmont 97 days ago to clinch the 2025 U.S. Open.
Spaun defeated MacIntyre again in April at the Valero Texas Open.
Victory here will move him inside the top 15 of the Official World Golf Ranking.
"It means so much," he said.
"You know, I've kind of blossomed into this player I never thought I could be, and to take my game across the world, and more specifically here in England, a place that's dear to my family's heart, we vacation here quite a bit.
"The stars kind of aligned this week for me to come out on top, and I'm just grateful to have the opportunity and play and play well and give myself a chance and came out with a W."
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