JJ Spaun secured victory at the BMW PGA Championship on Sunday, capitalizing on a heartbreaking collapse by runner-up Manuel Elvira to claim his first title outside the United States. The American carded a five-under 67, including four birdies in the final five holes, to finish at 17 under par and end Elvira’s dream run.
Elvira, ranked 294th in the world, entered the final hole needing only a par to force a playoff. Instead, the 30-year-old Spaniard found himself in a fairway bunker after a conservative lay-up shot, then missed his approach onto the green. After taking a free drop and three-putting from the sand for a double-bogey seven, he finished tied for second at 15 under, alongside Rory McIlroy, Adam Scott, and Aaron Rai.
“It was devastating that I hit the wrong shot at the right time on the lay up and left myself the toughest shot in the fairway bunker,” Elvira said. “I’ve played some of the best golf probably of my life.”
Selva Cup player Trish Johnson described the scene as “tragic,” noting that Elvira had placed himself in a position to win a tournament of this caliber. Former Europe Solheim Cup player Trish Johnson told BBC Radio 5 Live: “No more than 20 minutes ago he’s got this huge dream… In a big event like this the chances are we’ll never see him in that position to win this calibre of tournament ever again, and that’s very sad.”
For Spaun, the win was fueled by disappointment after being omitted from the US Presidents Cup team just weeks prior. He revealed that the decision was communicated in a brief 45-second phone call, leaving him as the “odd man out.”
“I played with a huge chip on my shoulder,” Spaun said. “My whole career, I’ve kind of had to do that. I wasn’t given scholarships. I had a walk-on. I had to earn my PGA Tour card the hard way.”
The victory earns Spaun approximately £1.1 million and joins him with Billy Horschel and Arnold Palmer as the only Americans to win the event, alongside legends such as Tony Jacklin, Sir Nick Faldo, Seve Ballesteros, Jose Maria Olazabal, and McIlroy.
In a lighter moment during his round, Spaun spotted his wife Melody wearing a Jeremy Clarkson mask, a nod to their shared appreciation for the presenter’s farming show and holidays in the Cotswolds. “Jeremy was there in spirit and I think he brought me good fortune,” he joked.
Meanwhile, Rory McIlroy moved within striking distance of Patrick Reed in the Race to Dubai standings. The Northern Irishman’s third-place finish keeps him in contention for a record-equalling eighth title, with three events remaining in his DP World Tour season.
Love seeing JJ’s grit pay off after the Presidents Cup snub. That chip on his shoulder clearly fueled some amazing golf at Wentworth today.
Man, that double-bogey on the 18th is brutal. Elvira played beautifully all week only to blow it in the final seconds.