It was yet more heartache for Rory McIlroy as Billy Horschel’s eagle putt found the back of the cup on the second play-off hole at the BMW PGA Championship.
McIlroy appeared on course to bounce back from his near miss at the Irish Open after he drained a long eagle putt on the 17th at Wentworth.
However, after failing to birdie the 72nd hole, the four-time major winner watched on helplessly as Horschel made history and sealed his second BMW PGA Championship.
YouTube star Peter Finch has since discussed the drama in Surrey, and the Englishman has admitted McIlroy and his caddie, Harry Diamond, perhaps made a mistake on the 72nd hole.
Peter Finch surprised by Rory McIlroy’s approach shot to the 18th at Wentworth
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McIlroy, from the middle of the fairway, opted to hit a big four iron in order to reach the par-five 18th in two and clear the water hazard.
The Northern Irishman’s effort landed short, however, leaving him a tricky chip up onto the green.
Finch has since suggested a lay-up would’ve been the wiser option, considering he didn’t have a club to cover the yardage.
“I very rarely thought this, but on the 18th, that second shot. He talked about it in his interview afterwards and was saying about how he didn’t really have the club for that shot; I think it was 243, so it would have been too little for his driving iron or one of his woods, and a little too much for his four iron,” Finch told the Rough Cut Podcast.
“So he tried to aim at the right bunker, tried to hit a bit of sling hook towards the front and get it trundling towards the hole. It’s a super high tariff shot; it didn’t quite work; he actually got incredibly lucky as he hit it so poorly it ended up short of the water and in the rough.”
Finch continued: “He didn’t get up and down, and if he’d have birdied that, he’d have won the tournament. I think that might be the first time I thought – would that have been better for Harry to step in there and say if you don’t have the shot, let’s lay it up to a good yardage to the left of the fairway or even that cut up driving iron to the back right where he hit in the play-off.
“As long as you get a good lie there, it is quick down that slope, but Rory is one of the best chippers out there. That is the first time I thought that shot didn’t make sense; it really didn’t make sense to me.”
Rory McIlroy was unfortunate at the BMW PGA Championship
Of course, McIlroy’s latest near miss will be scrutinised, but the BMW PGA Championship cannot be compared to the US Open.
Horschel made an eagle to win. McIlroy still made birdie and did what he needed to do. It wasn’t as if the Northern Irishman lost after dropping a shot.
Regarding his approach shot into 18, if the ball had carried and made the green, McIlroy would’ve almost certainly two-putted and claimed victory.
Now, after the event, it’s easy to suggest McIlroy made the wrong decision. The four-time major champion didn’t put a foot wrong during the DP World Tour’s flagship event. On this occasion, he was beaten by the better man.
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