Tour News

McIlroy erases 7-shot deficit to win BMW PGA Championship

Published

12 years ago

May 25, 2014

Rory McIlroy’s personal life was on shaky ground early this week at the BMW PGA Championship at Wentworth, but by Sunday he proved that his golf game is still rock solid by winning one of the European Tour’s most prestigious events.

McIlroy announced on Wednesday that he had split with his fiance, Danish-born tennis star Caroline Wozniacki, putting the No. 10-ranked golfer in the Official World Golf Rankings in a precarious state of mind at Wentworth.

“I’m not going to lie. It’s going to be very difficult,” McIlroy said on Wednesday, when asked if it would be hard to concentrate on his golf this week. “But you know, at least when I get inside the ropes, just try and concentrate on the shot at hand.”

After his opening round of 68, McIlroy said that he’d “be delighted to make it to the weekend,” a feat he hadn’t accomplished since 2011 when he finished tied for 24th. But McIlroy did much more than that, firing rounds of 71 and 69 to put himself within seven shots of the lead heading in the tournament’s final round.

A 6-under 66 on Sunday leapfrogged McIlroy two shots ahead of third-round leader Thomas Bjorn, who held a four-shot lead entering Sunday but imploded with a 75, as well as Shane Lowry, who finished one shot back of McIlroy at 13-under.

Winning WITB: Click here to see photos of the clubs McIlroy used to win.

McIlroy has been winless on the PGA Tour since the 2012 PGA Tour Playoffs and had not won on the the European Tour since the DP World Tour Championship in Dubai in November 2012. But his strong play in 2014 indicated that he was much closer to winning form than his record showed.

The 25-year-old has finished no worse that 25th on the PGA Tour in eight stroke play events, which included six top-10 finishes including a T8 at the Masters and a T7 at The Players Championship.

With the U.S. Open only three weeks away, McIlroy should be one of the heavy favorites at Pinehurst No. 2, where he’ll try to win his third major championship.

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13 Comments

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Blanked

May 27, 2014 at 3:14 am

I can hear it now…… Olé, olé olé olé! Europe, has won the Ryder Cup…….! US got blanked this weekend.

Reply Report comment
JB

May 26, 2014 at 5:51 am

Good job! Such is life….lose fiancé, become a better golfer or keep the fiancé and have a so so golf game?

Reply Report comment
Roger

May 25, 2014 at 4:08 pm

Well done Rory!

Reply Report comment
Billy

May 25, 2014 at 3:44 pm

RORS

Reply Report comment
G

May 25, 2014 at 2:39 pm

He got lucky that Bjorn blew up. That’s all.

Reply Report comment
- Jbi
  
  May 25, 2014 at 3:24 pm
  
  Bjorn did blow up but Mcilroy also tied the lowest round of the day at -6, so to be fair he did play some pretty stellar golf when it mattered and took advantage of Bjorn’s poor play.
  
  Reply Report comment
  - Winner
    
    May 25, 2014 at 10:14 pm
    
    All Bjorn had to do was shoot Even. But that’s how it is sometimes
    
    Reply Report comment
- Nunya
  
  May 25, 2014 at 9:02 pm
  
  They see me rollin’…
  They be ha’in’…
  
  Reply Report comment
trapp120

May 25, 2014 at 2:08 pm

awesome!

Reply Report comment
west

May 25, 2014 at 1:47 pm

Definitely a sign of a true champ. Despite all the personal controversy surrounding him, he was able to focus and finish victorious. Kudos!

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