A decisive playoff
Alex Noren celebrated his victory by raising the trophy after the fourth round of the 2025 BMW PGA Championship, which took place at Wentworth Golf Club, Virginia Water, Surrey, England, on Sunday, September 14, 2025. The Swedish golfer turned a poor shot into a playoff victory, chipping in from a short creek to three feet for birdie on the par-5 18th, allowing him to beat Adrien Saddier of France and claim his second title at this tournament. In wet conditions, both players struggled on the 18th hole during the playoff. Saddier found himself in a difficult position to the left of the green, while Noren hit his fairway metal hard and feared his ball would fall into the creek, ultimately coming up short, but with a good position in the thick turf.
Recent results and future in golf
Saddier left his chip 15 feet from the rim and had no chance of birdie. With this victory, Noren has won two of his last three tournaments on the European Tour, having triumphed at the British Masters three weeks ago at The Belfry. He now heads to New York for the Ryder Cup, albeit only as vice-captain. This triumph marks his twelfth European Tour win, which will allow him to climb into the top 20 of the world rankings, surpassing three other members of the Ryder Cup team who are full-time European Tour players.
Noren's Reflections
“The other guys have played better than me all year,” Noren said. “I’ve had some great results recently. But I think the team members will be fantastic.”
Performance of other players
Rory McIlroy closed his outing with a 65, his best round of the week, tying for 20th. Jon Rahm, who is winless this year at LIV Golf or the majors, shot a 66 and tied for 13th. “A really nice way to end the week, the last competitive round before the Ryder Cup,” McIlroy said. “It’s great to finish on a high.”
Preparations for the Ryder Cup
The 11 Team Europe players competing at Wentworth, including Austria's Sepp Straka, who is home with a newborn, are heading to Bethpage Black for two days of practice ahead of matches on September 26-28. Aaron Rai of England and American Patrick Reed also closed with a 66, tying for third, two shots back. Noren and Saddier finished with a 6-under 68, dueling in the rain for the final hour, with no one else able to seriously compete. Both had birdie opportunities from mid-range and finished with a 19-under 269 total.
Key moments of the tournament
Noren found himself trapped at the top of a bunker on the par-3 14th, from where he managed to climb out and save par with a putt that tapped the right corner of the hole. Saddier holed an 8-foot putt to tie for the lead. On the 15th, Saddier got lucky when his drive, which appeared to be headed for trouble, ended up in the hood of a spectator's sweatshirt, allowing him to make a drop. The two players tied for the next two holes. On the par-5 17th, Saddier had the advantage by leaving his shot to 8 feet, but Noren holed a birdie from beyond 20 feet, leaving them tied at the 18th hole as they battled through a steady downpour that made it difficult to control their shots.
Noren's victory and return
“You just have to fight,” Noren said. “Today felt like a battle. I think he played better than me from tee to green, but that’s golf.” The rain stopped for the playoff, where Noren had his big chance. They were both about 250 yards from the hole, a shot that seemed longer in the damp breeze and soft conditions. Noren realized later that trying to reach the green might have been trickier than he thought. “I thought I hit the ball into the water,” he said with a smile. “But I had a good position. I got lucky with a good bounce, and the chip was well placed.”
This victory completes a remarkable comeback for the 43-year-old Swede, who had to step away from golf for six months at the end of last year due to a hamstring injury that kept him out until early May. Although he wasn't a serious contender for the Ryder Cup due to his late return, European captain Luke Donald selected him as one of his assistants for Bethpage Black. Saddier, meanwhile, earned his sixth top-10 finish on the European Tour this year, including his victory at the Italian Open.
