McIlroy Overcomes Seven-Shot Deficit to Win BMW PGA Championship


Rory McIlroy fired a 6-under 66 to come from way behind and win the BMW PGA Championship. The European Tour's flagship event took place at Wentworth Club in Surrey, England.

The 25-year-old Northern Irishman began the final round seven strokes behind 54-hole leader Thomas Bjorn. The 43-year-old Dane, who started the day six shots ahead of England's Luke Donald, struggled to a 75.

On the front nine McIlroy carded an eagle, birdie and two bogeys to make the turn in 1-under 34. On the home half, however, the two-time major winner put up five birdies for a 32 to finish at 14-under 274.

Ireland's Shane Lowry had a 68 to take solo second at 275, while Bjorn dropped into a tie for third at 278 with Donald (70).

The victory provided a big emotional lift for McIlroy, who on Wednesday announced that he'd called off his wedding engagement to tennis star Caroline Wozniacki.

"I guess when I got inside the ropes this week, it was a little bit of a release, and I was on my own and doing what I do best, which is playing golf, and that sort of gave me four or five hours of serenity or sanctuary or whatever you want to call it," McIlroy told reporters after securing his first title since the Australian Open in December.

"I was just focusing on the job at hand which was to play golf and get the ball in the hole in the lowest number of shots possible . . . It's obviously been a week of very mixed emotions, but I'm sitting here looking at this trophy going, `How the hell, how did it happen this week?' But it did."

McIlroy admitted he needed another trip to the winner's circle, especially in an event of this magnitude. "The win at the end of last year in Australia sort of stopped all the questions about equipment and about struggling and slump and all this stuff," he said.

"But to win here, against a great field, one of the best fields of the year, especially in Europe, sort of cements that, and shows where my game is and I'm on the right track again. Hopefully, it won't be long before I'm contending in majors and having a chance to win those again."

By forfeiting his six-shot lead, Bjorn set a dubious mark for blowing the biggest final-round advantage in the BMW PGA Championship. Despite four birdies, Sunday wasn't his day as the 15-time winner in Europe also had four bogeys and a damaging triple on the par-4 sixth.

"It's a disappointment when you come off the golf course like this," said Bjorn, a former resident of Wentworth. "I just didn't get it right today and I made that massive judgment error on six and that kind of let everybody back into the frame."

Tied for fifth at 279 were Scotland's Stephen Gallacher and England's Simon Dyson, while another stroke back were Marcel Siem, Henrik Stenson, Thomas Aiken, Francesco Molinari and Pablo Larrazabal.

For all the scores, visit http://www.europeantour.com/europeantour/season=2014/tournamentid=2014040/leaderboard/index.html.