In England, three years after the first time, Billy Horschel returns to win the BMW PGA Championship, one of the most important tournaments (of the Rolex Series) of the DP World Tour, compared by many to a Major. At Virginia Water, in Surrey, the American beat the Northern Irishman Rory McIlroy and the South African Trhiston Lawrence in the play-off, both 2nd.
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All three players closed the 72 regulation holes with a score of 268 (-20) shots, but the difference was made, on the second play-off hole, by an eagle show by the American. On the Wentworth Golf Club course (par 72), Matteo Manassero failed to achieve the feat.
Winner in 2013, in the lead this year at the end of the third and penultimate round, the Italian closed the competition in 4th place with a total of 271 (67 68 63 73, -17). He can still smile, the 31-year-old from Negrar Valpolicella (Verona), who returns to the world Top 100, climbs from 9th to 5th place in the Race to Dubai and, for the first time in his career, is preparing to play on the PGA Tour in 2025.
At the end of the season, in fact, the top 15 of the order of merit of the top continental circuit will punch the pass to go to America to compete with the best on the green.
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Bmw Pga, results
As if that were not enough, in view of next year's Ryder Cup, Manassero has earned important points and can now aspire to conquer a place in the team Europe in Bethpage (New York).
For Horschel, a 37-year-old resident of Grant, Florida, it is the third career title on the DP World Tour, the second in a Rolex Series event. The exploit earned him 1,530,000 dollars against a total prize pool of 9,000,000.
Born in Negrar di Valpolicella, in the province of Verona, on April 19, 1993, he began playing golf at the age of 3 and a half[2] at the Villafranca Golf Club. In 1998 he moved to the Gardagolf Country Club in Soiano del Lago (BS) coached by Franco Maestroni; one of the first to notice him and talk about him was the television journalist Germano Mosconi.
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He currently trains and lives at the Monticello Golf Club (near Como) and is followed by Alberto Binaghi. In 2009, at just 16 years old, he won the British Amateur Championship[3], one of the two Majors for amateurs. With this victory Matteo set the record for the youngest winner of the tournament and the first Italian, guaranteeing himself an invitation to two Majors: the Open Championship and The Masters.
During the 2009 Open Championship at Turnberry, Matteo placed 13th, tied with Francesco Molinari, earning the Silver Medal: the prize awarded to the best amateur in the competition. On April 9, 2010, at the age of 16 years, 11 months and 22 days, Manassero broke the record of the South African Bobby Cole (which had stood since 1967), becoming the youngest player to make the cut at The Masters, placing 36th.
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He turned professional in May 2010 and decided to make his debut at the Italian Open, finishing in the top 30. Subsequently invited to England to play the BMW PGA Championship at Wentworth, he made the cut and finished the tournament in 17th place.
On 24 October 2010, Manassero won the Castell Masters in Spain, becoming the youngest winner of a European Tour tournament at 17 years, 6 months and 5 days. The record was previously held by New Zealander Danny Lee, winner of the Johnnie Walker Classic in February 2009.
