Ryder Cup vice-captain Alex Noren held off Adrien Saddier and upstaged a host of Team Europe’s players to snatch play-off victory at the BMW PGA Championship.
Noren went into the day tied for the lead with Saddier at Wentworth, where both players carded final-round 68s in rainy conditions to finish on 19 under and take the contest to a play-off for a second successive year.
Both players went left of the green in two at the first extra hole, from where Noren pitched out of the rough to set up a close-range birdie and win the DP World Tour’s flagship event for a second time.
Adrien Saddier (left) finished second as Alex Noren snatched play-off victory
England’s Aaron Rai shared tied-third with Patrick Reed, having both carded final-round 66s, while European Ryder Cup trio Tyrrell Hatton, Matt Fitzpatrick and Viktor Hovland all ended on 15 under.
Si Woo Kim was also tied-fifth after a round-of-the-day 64 and Jon Rahm moved to a share of 13th with a six-under 66, while Rory McIlroy jumped inside the top 20 after closing a final-round 65 with a stunning long-range eagle.
How Noren pipped Saddier to Wentworth victory
Playing in the final threeball alongside Saddier and Hatton, Noren grabbed the early advantage as he followed a 15-foot birdie at the third by holing from close range at the par-five next to briefly go two ahead.
Hatton matched the Swede’s birdie at the third and temporarily closed within one after a brilliant tee shot set up a short birdie at the par-three fifth, where Noren missed the green and failed to get up and down.
Noren (right) played alongside Saddier (not pictured) and Hatton, who ended tied-fifth
The Englishman bogeyed the seventh after finding the greenside bunker, dropping him two behind, while Saddier ended his run of pars by making a 15-foot birdie at the 10th to pull level with Noren.
All three took advantage of the par-five 12th before Noren made an impressive birdie at the 13th to move to 18 under, with the British Masters champion scrambling par – despite finishing plugged in a greenside bunker – at the par-three next.
Saddier converted from 10 feet on the same hole to reclaim a share of the lead but squandered a six-foot birdie chance at the 16th, then rolled in from 10 feet at the par-five 17th to match the birdie of Noren from double the distance.
Both players were unable to find a birdie on the final hole in regulation, before Noren claimed the spoils at the first extra hole to secure an 12th DP World Tour title and second in as many months.
More to follow..
What’s next?
The DP World Tour heads to France for the FedEx Open de France, held at Golf de Saint-Nom-La-Bretèche and live on Thursday from 12.30pm on Sky Sports Golf.
There will be extended live coverage from every day of Ryder Cup week, starting on Monday September 22, where Team Europe look to regain the trophy with a historic away win in the United States.
Round-the-clock coverage of the opening day’s play will begin with live build-up from 9am on Friday September 26, ahead of full coverage from midday. Not got Sky? Get Sky Sports or stream with no contract on NOW.