If it was not guaranteed before, Billy Horschel secured cult-hero status on the DP World Tour after winning the BMW PGA Championship for a second time at the weekend.
A brilliant BMW PGA Championship got a fitting finale on Sunday, with Billy Horschel and Rory McIlroy both involved in a play-off at Wentworth after they, along with Thriston Lawrence, finished on 20 under par after 72 holes.
In truth, the fans would have been particularly delighted had either McIlroy or Horschel won; while the biggest win of Lawrence’s career is ahead of him and surely not too far away now. But ultimately, it would be Horschel who would get across the line, making an eagle on the second-play off hole. Remarkably, the 37-year-old had played the 18th hole in four under par on Sunday alone.
Some felt that Horschel should have made the Presidents Cup team, but there is potentially an argument that he is even more popular on the other side of the pond than he is in his home country. There have not been many American stars in recent years who have devoted so much time to the DP World Tour while arguably at the peak of their powers.
How Billy Horschel gained six die-hard fans at Wentworth
It is clear that Horschel takes his status very seriously. But it is also fantastic to hear that it is not simply an act for the cameras. Speaking on the Sky Sports Golf Podcast, coach Simon Holmes shared how the world number 17 goes out of his way to engage with fans following his win.
“Charming guy, Billy Horschel actually, I’ve a great story, I’ll tell it to you quickly, a couple of years ago, my children and their friends went to Wentworth and they’re in their golf clothes and they’re dead keen golfers, so there’d be five guys and a girl,” he said.
“And they’re walking round and Billy Horschel is playing with Justin Rose and on about 12, he walks over to them, he’s in the tournament, he goes, ‘are you guys golfers?’ And they’re like, ‘yeah, we’re all golfers’. He goes, ‘I knew you were golfers, you’re so well behaved, thanks a lot for coming out to watch us’.
“The next day, where were they? First tee, 18 holes, Billy Horschel, walked the whole way round. They were there on Friday, Saturday and Sunday, watching Billy Horschel, so it’s touches like that that he didn’t need to do at all, that’s an add-on. We’re lucky that golf’s ambassadors do things like that, and now he’s got six die-hard fans.”
A brilliant ambassador for the game
Horschel arguably had a reputation for being a fiery character during the early stages of his career, and that probably did not help at a time when he should have been receiving picks for the Ryder Cup and the Presidents Cup. He has, so far, only made one appearance for USA.
But he has become such an important figure in the current game. Horschel, along with McIlroy, was one of the most outspoken supporters and defenders of the PGA Tour when LIV Golf began and caused sheer chaos in the modern game.
And it is so important to the DP World Tour to have players like Horschel coming across and completely embracing the challenge that playing in Europe presents.
Clearly, he is not someone who views the events as any kind of burden which leaves him counting down the days until he is back in the States. And that definitely means a lot to those who relish the chance to watch him up close.
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