With the Ryder Cup taking place later this month, the BMW PGA Championship offered the perfect opportunity for members of the European team to work on their game ahead of the match.
As a result, 11 of the 12 members of Luke Donald’s team were in the field for the DP World Tour’s flagship event, with only Sepp Straka missing out.
Ultimately, it was a player who has been in excellent form in recent weeks, but didn’t do quite enough to make the team, Team Europe vice-captain Alex Noren, who won the event when he edged out Adrien Saddier in a playoff. But how did Team Europe’s players get on?
Not only did Tyrrell Hatton finish close to the top of the LIV Golf leaderboard, he was also the joint best-performing Team Europe member at Wentworth.
The Englishman finished T5 on 15 under par, just four back of the two players who reached the playoff.
In the same position was Norwegian Viktor Hovland, whose performance offered further encouragement that he is returning to his very best after a lengthy slump in form.
Viktor Hovland was one of three Ryder Cup stars to place T5
Another Team Europe Ryder Cup player who is back in form following a tricky period is Englishman Matt Fitzpatrick. His 67 in the final round ensured he was the third member of Donald’s team to place T5.
Spaniard Jon Rahm is one of the undoubted stars of the European Ryder Cup team, and though he couldn’t begin preparations for the match with victory, he did enough to suggest his touch is good, closing with a 66 to place T13 on 13 under.
Another big name for the Europeans is Swede Ludvig Aberg. He was let down somewhat by a 73 on Saturday, but finishing on 12 under in T20 still represents a solid week’s work ahead of the match.
He was joined there by another European superstar, Northern Irishman Rory McIlroy, helped by a stunning 65 on Sunday.
Heading into the event, Irishman Shane Lowry would have had high hopes of winning, particularly after claiming the title three years ago. It wasn’t to be, with a 74 on Friday damaging as he placed T46 on eight under the tournament.
Tommy Fleetwood, who won the FedEx Cup in August, finished in the same position, although he saved his best round of the week the last, with a 67 offering plenty of encouragement before heading to New York with the rest of the team for an early feel for Ryder Cup venue Bethpage Black.
Tommy Fleetwood finished on eight under for the tournament
Another Englishman, the elder statesman of the team, Justin Rose, didn’t have his best week at Wentworth, placing T61 at six under, but it will still be confident ahead of the match, particularly as it is still just over a month since his latest PGA Tour win, at the FedEx St. Jude Championship.
Just two of the 11 members of the team in the field failed to make it as far as Sunday. One was Scot Robert MacIntyre, who made the 36-hole cut, but not the additional 54-hole cut after the third round, finishing his challenge on two under.
Finally, the one rookie on Donald’s team, Rasmus Hojgaard, had an off week at just the wrong time, with rounds of 74 and 75 ensuring he finished on five over as he headed away from Wentworth after the second round.
Final Team Europe Ryder Cup Leaderboard At The BMW PGA Championship
- T5 -15 Tyrrell Hatton
- T5 -15 Viktor Hovland
- T5 -15 Matt Fitzpatrick
- T13 -13 Jon Rahm
- T20 -12 Ludvig Aberg
- T20 -12 Rory McIlroy
- T46 -8 Shane Lowry
- T46 -8 Tommy Fleetwood
- T61 -6 Justin Rose
- MC -2 Robert MacIntyre
- MC -5 Rasmus Hojgaard
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