American JJ Spaun claimed perhaps the second-biggest win of his career at the BMW PGA Championship on Sunday. The 36-year-old, who won the US Open in 2025, missed the cut at three majors this year, tying for 40th at The Open. After 2025 proved to be a breakout season, 2026 has been somewhat disappointing, although he did win the Valero Texas Open in April, an event he also won back in 2022.
His US Open success saw his ranking jump from 25 to eight, and while he subsequently dropped out of the top 10, his win in Texas this year took him back up to a career-best fifth place. His victory at Wentworth has seen him go from number 17 back up to number 12, and given that it came in what many consider to be the European Tour’s flagship tournament, it is probably the biggest of his career aside from his major championship success.
Only two Americans have previously won the (European) PGA Championship, and while Billy Horschel cannot be considered a legend, the other United States golfer to have triumphed, Arnold Palmer, certainly can. Spaun joins Rory McIlroy, Colin Montgomerie, Bernhard Langer, Seve, Nick Faldo and many other exceptional players in getting his hands on the trophy. He also won over €1.3m.
The Arizona resident finished two shots clear of McIlroy, Manuel Elvira, Adam Scott and Aaron Rai on 17 under par. Of the men in contention, Elvira came closest to winning. He was the only one who had never won a major championship and came into the tournament ranked 294th in the world. But he gave it a decent shot.
Tough Blow for Elvira to Take
| Position | Player | R1 | R2 | R3 | R4 | Par Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | JJ Spaun | 70 | 66 | 68 | 67 | -17 (271) |
| =2 | Manuel Elvira | 69 | 66 | 68 | 70 | -15 (273) |
| =2 | Aaron Rai | 66 | 69 | 72 | 66 | -15 (273) |
| =2 | Adam Scott | 67 | 67 | 71 | 68 | -15 (273) |
| =2 | Rory McIlroy | 69 | 67 | 69 | 68 | -15 (273) |
| =6 | Joost Luiten | 70 | 71 | 69 | 64 | -14 (274) |
| =6 | Matt Fitzpatrick | 72 | 68 | 67 | 67 | -14 (274) |
| =6 | Ryan Fox | 68 | 68 | 70 | 68 | -14 (274) |
| =6 | Filippo Celli | 68 | 66 | 69 | 71 | -14 (274) |
Spanish outsider Elvira, from Santander, has never won on the European Tour, unlike his older brother Nacho. He will take some consolation from what is easily the biggest payday of his career. He has jumped up to 179th in the world rankings and took home over €520,000, but he could so easily have landed well over double that.
Elvira was 262 yards from the pin on 17 and one shot off the lead when he knocked a stunning approach to around 12 feet from the hole. He holed the putt to jump to the top of the leaderboard, level with Spaun on 17 under. That left him with the 18th to play, knowing that a birdie would mean his maiden win, while a par would be good enough for a play-off.
Given Wentworth’s unusual layout, finishing with back-to-back par fives, the tournament was Elvira’s for the taking. He had birdied the 18th twice already but decided to play things safe with an iron from the tee and then laying up with his second.
A terrible shot saw him finish in a fairway bunker, but he still had three shots from there to force extra holes. From around 110 yards out, he went long but was lucky to get a free drop. However, clearly feeling the pressure and rattled by his previous shots, he then fluffed his chip into a bunker. He needed to hole his escape to earn a play-off but couldn’t do so, and then missed a short bogey putt to drop into a four-way tie for second.
He fought back tears, his closing 70 and double bogey on the 72nd hole not the way he wanted things to end. He was gracious in defeat, though, saying he was devastated he had “hit the wrong shot at the right time on the lay-up and left myself the toughest shot in the fairway bunker”, before adding that he had “played some of the best golf probably of my life”.
Spaun the Beneficiary Proves Point
Spaun admitted after his win that he “played with a huge chip on my shoulder”, disappointed at being left out of the US team for the Presidents Cup and annoyed with the way the message was conveyed. His omission was explained in a phone call lasting 45 seconds, with Spaun being told he was the “odd man out”.
The US have great strength in depth, but Spaun was probably right to be aggrieved. In a poor team performance at the 2025 Ryder Cup, he was a bright light, winning two points from three matches. Success has come late to Spaun, and he has had to work harder than many pros, and perhaps he is at his best when he feels wronged.
He played excellently over the four days in Surrey, shooting rounds of 70-66-68-67 to claim the title. He made four birdies on the final five holes, coming good at the right time and showing the sort of mettle that is key in team match play.
Rory set for Record-Equalling Eighth Race to Dubai Title
Rory could easily have won at Wentworth, shooting a closing 68 despite missing four birdie putts of less than 10 feet. On another day he could easily have at least two and either made a play-off or even won outright. Instead, he had to settle for tied second, though he will be far happier with that outcome than Elvira.
McIlroy never really looked likely to take the title he won back in 2014, but his more positive response is also due to the fact that the result gives him an excellent chance of claiming a record-equalling (with Colin Montgomerie) eighth win in the Race to Dubai. The Northern Irish star said “I have three events until the end of my DP World Tour season”, and having closed the gap to Patrick Reed at the top dramatically, he could well draw level with Monty.