Alex Noren won his 12th DP World Tour title before jumping on the plane and taking over as Vice Captain of Europe in New York Ryder Cup as he beat Adrian Saddier in the playoffs to win Wentworth’s BMW PGA title.
The Swedes won the final 62 season in 2017, and he started his final round with the lead of Saddier as he sought his second win in just three weeks after winning last month’s Betfred Bistren Masters.
The 43-year-old maintained a one-step lead after the first nine games, but after the turn, Saddier defeated four birdies and returned home. Noren was in the 12 and 13 birdies, and the two matched each other in the fifth 17 as they moved to 19 at a hole.
They both scored par in the 18th tricky game to force the playoffs, in the first extra hole – rain pouring in front of a house full of – they beat the left side of the five-shot. Facing the tricky chips, Saddier crossed the green, leaving a tricky downhill putt while Noren tried three feet.
Saddier missed his putt, and Noren struggled to beat the victory without misunderstanding, leading the biggest win in Tour history with Robert Karlsson and Henrik Stenson.
Noren said a few hours before joining his European Ryder Cup squad member: “I love it here. The game is incredible. I told everyone in the United States to come here and many of them do it. I think it’s one of the best games in the world and it’s getting better every year.
He added: “In those cases, it’s a tough defender – when you’re just waiting for the rain to come. Adrian has done well and I think the whole process of the rankings piles up to 13, 14. It keeps going.
“You know, you just have to fight. Sometimes it’s too easy, sometimes you have to fight, and today it feels like a fight. I think he [Saddier] Probably surpassed my serving area. But that’s it. ”
Aaron Rai and Patrick Reed shared third place under the age of 16, while Ryder Cup trio Matt Matt Fitzpatrick, Tyrrell Hatton and Viktor Hovland tied with Ewen Ferguson, Darren Fichardt and Si Woo Kim to go a step further in the fifth share.
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