Scott finishes runner-up, Fox 6th at BMW PGA Championship
Adam Scott finished in a four-way share of second place at the BMW PGA Championship at Wentworth Golf and Country Club in Virginia Water, Surrey, one shot behind winner J.J. Spaun on a day when as many as 20 players had a realistic chance of taking one of European golf’s greatest titles.
Scott began the day two shots behind Manuel Elvira and Filippo Celli, but an almost compulsory birdie at the par-5 4th put him among 15 players within one shot of the lead. A bogey at the 6th after missing the green and then a five-foot putt was followed by several frustrating near misses on the greens, but the final seven holes at Wentworth provided plenty of opportunity, and Scott took near full advantage with birdies at the 12th, 13th, 17th and 18th for his round of 68 and to have a share of the lead at that point.
2025 US Open Champion, Spaun, was playing two groups behind Scott, and although he missed an opportunity at the 17th, he would two-putt for birdie at the last to claim the lead, although he was joined almost immediately at 17 under by Elvira, who hit the most magnificent approach to the par 5 17th and converted for eagle.
Elvira, without a win as a professional, needed a birdie at the reachable par 5 last to take the title and, after finding the fairway with an iron from the tee, was left with just over 250 yards to the hole. He decided to lay up but found a fairway bunker, then missed the green with his third.
He then found the greenside bunker with his 4th. He needed to get up and down to take second outright but failed to do so, and the resultant double bogey saw him fall back into a share of second place, still a great result, but it was a case of what might have been for the 30-year-old Spaniard. The difference between a potential win and his share of second place was €800,000
Scott earned €520,000 for his share of second place and moved 50 places to 34th in the Race to Dubai rankings.
New Zealand’s Ryan Fox began the day three from the lead but made a great start, and when he birdied the 8th and 9th holes for an outward nine of 31, he had the lead at 14 under par. After a mid-round talk with Sky’s on-course interviewer, Tim Barter, Fox pulled his second slightly at the 11th and found the front left bunker and was unable to get up and down. Then, after finding the rough at the reachable par 5 12th, he unluckily hit a bunker rake left in front of the greenside bunker and was faced with an awkward pitch over that bunker, which he failed to negotiate and was forced to save par from the sand.
It had been a costly stretch and perhaps more thought should be given to interviewing players so late in an event when there is so much going on. Fox obviously agreed to the on-course chat, but he might have been better advised to refuse given the circumstances. It is not in Fox’s nature to do so, but it might also be up to the producers to avoid such a situation.
Fox did, however, hit a fine shot to the last, and although he missed his eagle chance, his birdie saw him finish with a round of 68 and a share of 6th place. Fox earned €220,000.
Daniel Hillier added a second consecutive round of 69 to finish 36th, while Kazuma Kobori was 56th.
For Hillier, he is now in 9th position amongst the players in line for one of the ten PGA Tour cards for 2027, given to the leading ten in the Race to Dubai rankings at season’s end and who are non-exempt for the PGA Tour. Hillier is now 12th in the Race to Dubai rankings.
