- JJ Spaun closed with a 67 to win the BMW PGA Championship by two shots.
- Manuel Elvira double-bogeyed the 18th after drawing level with an eagle at the 17th.
- Spaun became the third American to win the title, following Arnold Palmer and Billy Horschel.
JJ Spaun birdied four of his final five holes to win the BMW PGA Championship, completing a late charge before Manuel Elvira’s challenge unravelled at Wentworth Club’s 18th.
The 2025 US Open champion began Sunday one stroke behind overnight leaders Elvira and Filippo Celli, but appeared to be slipping out of contention after opening with a bogey and making eight consecutive pars from the 6th.
Spaun transformed his round on the West Course’s closing stretch. Birdies at the 14th, 15th and 16th moved him into the lead, before a two-putt gain at the par-5 18th completed a 5-under 67 and set the clubhouse target at 17-under.
Elvira then eagled the 17th from nine feet to draw level, but found two bunkers and flew the green during a closing double bogey. His 70 left him two shots behind Spaun alongside Rory McIlroy, Adam Scott and Aaron Rai.
The victory was Spaun’s second DP World Tour title after his US Open success and his first in the Rolex Series. He also became the first player to win the BMW PGA Championship in his debut debut since Byeong Hun An in 2015.
The 2026 BMW PGA Champion – J.J. Spaun 🏆#BMWPGA | #RolexSeries pic.twitter.com/rvpHz18LVk
— DP World Tour (@DPWorldTour) September 20, 2026
Spaun finds another gear at the 14th
Spaun started the decisive run by hitting his tee shot close at the par-3 14th. He then converted birdie putts from 14 feet and 16 feet at the next two holes, turning a quiet round into the winning score.
“I knew the whole day I had to stay patient because of the closing stretch at Wentworth because you could go eagle, eagle and you could also go bogey, bogey,” Spaun said.
His patience was tested again after he finished. Elvira’s eagle at the penultimate hole erased Spaun’s two-shot advantage and left the American waiting beside the 18th green.
Elvira, chasing his first professional victory, found sand with his second shot at the last. His third went over the green and his next finished in another bunker, ending his chance of forcing a play-off.
“It means so much,” Spaun said. “I’ve kind of blossomed into this player I never thought I could be, and to take my game across the world and more specifically here in England, a place that’s dear to my family’s heart, we vacation here quite a bit.”
Spaun said missing selection for the Presidents Cup had provided extra motivation during the week. He celebrated with his wife, Melody, who carried a mask of British broadcaster Jeremy Clarkson after the couple had hoped to see him during a visit to his Cotswolds pub.
1967 Arnold Palmer
— DP World Tour (@DPWorldTour) September 20, 2026
2021 Billy Horschel
2024 Billy Horschel
2026 J.J. Spaun
J.J. Spaun becomes only the third American to win at Wentworth 🇺🇸 #BMWPGA | #RolexSeries pic.twitter.com/BWgkGWfbfw
Major champions fill the chasing places
McIlroy and Scott each closed with rounds of 68, while Rai produced a 66 to join Elvira at 15-under. McIlroy’s finish also improved his position in the Race to Dubai as he pursues rankings leader Patrick Reed.
Matt Fitzpatrick and Ryan Fox finished another shot back alongside Joost Luiten and Celli. The Italian had shared the 54-hole lead but could not convert his first DP World Tour winning opportunity.
Spaun joined Palmer and 2021 champion Horschel as the only Americans to lift the trophy, one year after Alex Noren won the title in a play-off.
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Simon Bale
Simon Bale is the publisher of Golf Today. A low single-figure handicap golfer, he was previously a major shareholder and course reviewer for Top100GolfCourses.com for over a decade, starting in 2010. Through this role, he developed extensive knowledge of golf course design and architecture while playing more than 300 courses worldwide.