Alex Noren wins second BMW PGA Championship in play-off

Alex Noren and Adrien Saddier started the day tied at the top of the BMW PGA Championship leaderboard and both shot 68s, Saddier bogey-free, Noren with a bogey at the par-3 5th, to reach 19-under and enter a play-off.

France’s Saddier parred the first extra hole at the 18th while Sweden’s Noren made a birdie to win his second BMW PGA Championship.

“I hit my iron shots way better the first three days, and today, I was kind of struggling a little bit with the hit,” said Noren. I hit it good off the tee but my iron shots just felt a little tough. My putting, chipping… got some long putts going in.

“You know, you’ve just got to fight. Sometimes it comes too easy and sometimes you’ve just got to fight and today it felt like a fight. I think he probably outplayed me tee-to-green. But that’s how it goes.”

This was Noren’s twelfth DP World Tour title and his second of the season following the Betfred British Masters two weeks ago.

“So many emotions right now. In the play-off it felt maybe a little bit easier than coming down the 72nd hole – a little bit better conditions,” added Noren.

“I thought I hit my approach [in the play-off] in the water but I had a great lie so I tried to put it up here on the right side of the green and then got fortunate with a good break.

“The chip was sitting quite nicely. I saw his ball didn’t catch as nice of a break maybe. So it makes a difference.”

American Patrick Reed closed with a bogey-free 66 to reach 16-under and tie for third place alongside England’s Aaron Rai whose own 66 was also bogey-free.

Englishman Tyrrell Hatton made one bogey for a 70 and tied for fifth place at 15-under alongside fellow countryman Matt Fitzpatrick who eagled the par-5 4th and made five birdies and two bogeys for a 67.

Also tied in fifth place were Scotland’s Ewen Ferguson who made two bogeys for a 67, Norway’s Viktor Hovland whose 69 also featured two bogeys, South African Darren Fichardt who carded a bogey-free 68 and Korean Si Woo Kim who fired seven birdies and one bogey before closing with an eagle at the par-5 18th for a 68.

Northern Ireland’s Rory McIlroy finished T20 at 12-under having made eagles at the par-5s 4th and 18th as well as five birdies and two bogeys.

“I think you enjoy yourself a bit more when you play like that instead of the way I played the first three days,” said the Race to Dubai Rankings leader.

“I played the par fives much better. That was the difference between the first three days and today. I’ve played the par fives in six under, which I think got me back to under par for the par fives for the week.

“I played much better. And yeah, obviously a really nice way to sign off the week, last competitive round going into the Ryder Cup. So nice to finish on a high.

“I think we definitely are getting into Ryder Cup mode. We had a really good team dinner on Tuesday night with the caddies, and the wives and the partners were there as well. We’re getting ready to go on this practice trip tonight to New York.

“There’s been a lot of talk and a lot of chat and a lot of thinking about the Ryder Cup. But you still want to play well this week.

“I saw a glimpse of that. There was a lot of birdies and eagles and just a few too many bogeys and double bogeys to have a chance to win but overall, happy with the week and obviously very excited for what’s to come in a couple of weeks’ time.”

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