BMW PGA Championship: Danny Willett returns to form with three-shot victory

Danny Willett has moved back into the top 40 in the Official World Golf Rankings after securing victory at the BMW PGA Championship.

Danny Willett came into the final day of the BMW PGA Championship at Wentworth in a tie for the lead with Spain’s Jon Rahm, but he carded a 67 to win the European Tour’s flagship event by three shots.

With two holes to play, Willett had a two-shot lead, before going on to birdie the final two par-5s to secure his first victory of the calendar year.

The Englishman looks to be back to his major championship winning best, after losing his PGA TOUR card in 2017. He has now returned to win two Rolex Series events on the European Tour in the last twelve months.

Willett took his first Rolex win at the DP World Tour Championship in Dubai in November, before this big victory at Wentworth on Sunday afternoon with a score of -20.

With the win, Danny Willett moves into the top five on the Race to Dubai standings. The man who sits at the top is the man who finished runner-up at the BMW PGA, Jon Rahm.

The Spaniard could only manage a 70 on Sunday, with a couple of bogeys on the back nine knocking him out of contention at the end.

South African Christiaan Bezuidenhout finished in 3rd ahead of the American duo of Billy Horschel and Patrick Reed.

The 2014 FedEx Cup Champion shot the lowest round of the day, with a Sunday 65 being his second seven-under-par round of the week. Meanwhile, a 66 from the former Masters champion moved him up to -15 and a tied 4th finish with his compatriot.

Richie Ramsay and Rafa Cabrera Bello finished in a tie for 6th, seven shots behind the eventual winner, with Justin Rose, Rory McIlroy and Andrew Johnston also ending the week inside the top ten.

Rose was the only man in the top 15 to not score in the red on Sunday, with a level-par round keeping him at -12. Meanwhile for McIlroy, a poor first round put pay to his week. The four-time major champion shot a 76 on Thursday, but since then, he went -15 over the final three rounds to finish in a tie for 9th at -11.

2009 BMW PGA Champion Paul Casey, reigning British Open Champion Shane Lowry and European Tour debutant Viktor Hovland all finished in a tie for 11th, while last year’s Wentworth winner Francesco Molinari finished a further shot back.

Former Open Champion Henrik Stenson ended the week at -8, twelve behind Willett, while yesterday’s albatross hero, Ross Fisher, carded a 76 to end the BMW PGA at -3.

First round leader Matt Wallace continued his slump after a marvellous 65 on Thursday. The Englishman did not shoot in the red for the rest of the week, with a 76, 72, 74 finish to his week, ending the tournament in a tie for 41st.

However, for his compatriot Danny Willett, the return is complete, The man from Sheffield is back among golf’s best. With the win, he moves into the top 40 in the OWGR, he moves into the top five on the Race to Dubai standings, and he now sits at the top of the European Ryder Cup list for the 2020 event.

The Englishman is on the entry list for the Alfred Dunhill Links Championship, the next event on the European Tour, which will see play across the first three days spilt between Carnoustie, Kingsbarns and the Old Course at St Andrews.

Play starts in Scotland on Thursday, with the cut taking place on Saturday evening, after each golfer has played at all three courses.

Final Leaderboard:

1 (-20): Danny Willett (ENG)

2 (-17): Jon Rahm (ESP)

3 (-16): Christiaan Bezuidenhout (RSA)

T4 (-15): Billy Horschel (USA), Patrick Reed (USA)

T6 (-13): Richie Ramsay (SCO), Rafa Cabrera Bello (ESP)

8 (-12): Justin Rose (ENG)

T9 (-11): Rory McIlroy (NIR), Andrew Johnston (ENG)

T11 (-10): Shane Lowry (IRL), Paul Casey (ENG), Viktor Hovland (NOR)

T14 (-9): Erik van Rooyen (RSA), Kurt Kitayama (USA), Francesco Molinari (ITA)