London, Sep 23 (AP) Billy Horschel became the first American to win the BMW PGA Championship twice when he holed an eagle to beat four-time major winner Rory McIlroy in a playoff.
Horschel showed no sign of nerves when he sank a long putt from near the edge of the 18th green on the second playoff hole. Horschel and McIlroy each closed with a 5-under 67 and were joined at 20-under 268 by Thriston Lawrence, who had a 65.
Lawrence was eliminated on the first extra hole with a bogey on the par-5 18th.
Horschel won at Virginia Water three years ago. Arnold Palmer, in 1975, was the only other American winner of the flagship event on the European tour.
Matteo Manassero, who started the final round with a three-shot lead, closed with a 73 and tied for fourth. McIlroy was runner-up for the third time since winning at Wentworth in 2014. He also was runner-up last week in the Irish Open.
Ko wins Queen City
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Lydia Ko turned a two-shot deficit into a five-shot victory with a 9-under 63 to win the Kroger Queen City Championship for her third LPGA Tour title of the season.
Ko won for the third time in her last four starts, which includes her Olympic gold medal that gave the 27-year-old from New Zealand enough points for the LPGA Hall of Fame. It also includes another major in the Women's British Open, this one at St. Andrews.
Jeeno Thitikul, who had a two-shot lead after eight holes, made birdie on the par-5 18th for a 70 to finish alone in second. Haeran Ryu (67) finished third.
Ko, who finished at 23-under 265, now has 22 career LPGA victories. It was the fifth time she has at least three wins in the same season on the LPGA, her biggest year coming with five wins when she was 18 and reached No. 1 in the world.
Ripper wins team title
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Cameron Smith and Lucas Herbert delivered clutch putts late in the round on Sunday to lead Australia-based Ripper to its first team title in the LIV Golf League.
Herbert, who looked as though he might have cost his team with a double bogey and a bogey on two of the par 5s at Maridoe Golf Club, responded with four birdies over his last five holes, the final putt a 12-footer for birdie for a 69.
Smith hit a 60-yard pitch to 12 feet and holed the birdie putt on the 17th to give Ripper the lead for good, and then drilled his tee shot down the middle on the 18th that effectively sealed the win. He shot 68. Matt Jones birdied two of his last three holes following a double bogey. He had a 70, along with Marc Leishman.
Ripper finished at 11-under 277, three shots ahead of 4Aces and Iron Heads.
Ripper won $14 million, with each player getting $1.4 million and the rest going to the team management.
Broadhurst wins
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Paul Broadhurst finished off his second PGA Tour Champions victory of the year with a few nervous moments Sunday, closing with an even-par 72 at Pebble Beach for a three-shot victory in the Pure Insurance Championship.
Broadhurst was staked to a five-shot lead going into the final round and expanded that to as many as six shots. But the lead shrunk to two shots when Alex Cejka shot a 64, and the Englishman held his nerve to the end.
Broadhurst, who finished at 14-under 202, got up-and-down for a tough par on the par-3 17th that kept his lead at two shots playing the final hole.
Broadhurst, a 59-year-old from England, has two senior majors among his seven career PGA Tour Champions titles. He moved up to No. 8 in the Charles Schwab Cup standings. (AP) UNG 7/21/2024