Summary
At the BMW PGA Championship, Alex Noren, who will be one of the vice-captains of the European team at the upcoming Ryder Cup, is turning heads by outperforming the European stars preparing for the tournament. Noren, a Swede who will be part of Luke Donald's team at Bethpage Black, made a stunning 17-foot putt on the 18th hole, closing with a birdie-birdie-eagle finish, and tied Adrien Saddier for the lead in the third round of the European Tour's main event.
Saddier, a Frenchman ranked 120th, also shone, birdieing three of his last four holes to card a 7-under 65, while Noren, the 2017 champion, posted a 66. Both players were at 15-under, two shots ahead of Tyrrell Hatton, whose 64 was the highest-ranked of the 11 Ryder Cup players playing at Wentworth this week ahead of the September 26-28 matches.
Viktor Hovland, another Ryder Cup player, finished fourth with a 71. Other competitors included Ludvig Åberg (73) and Matt Fitzpatrick (69) tied for sixth at 10 under. Rory McIlroy, meanwhile, was in a disappointing tie for 53rd at 5 under after a 70, failing to replicate the strong form he showed in winning the Irish Open last week.
Key details
As for Noren, his experience at Wentworth is notable, as he closed with a 62 to win the title eight years ago. This year, he has finished the season in strong fashion, winning the British Masters two weeks ago—his eleventh victory on the European Tour and his first in seven years—and tying for third at the Wyndham Championship in early August. While his recent strong performance didn't secure him a Ryder Cup captain's selection, he is on track to surpass several of the stars with whom he will share the European team at Bethpage.
“It’s going to be a lot of fun,” Noren said, looking ahead to the final round. “I’m really loving this.” Saddier, who led after three rounds at the Irish Open, closed with a 74 and finished tied for fifth. He now has a chance to claim his second title of 2025, following the Italian Open in June, and the biggest win of his career. “I think it’s just going to be another day at the office,” Saddier said. “I just have to focus on myself and my game. I’m going to try to hit a lot of fairways and greens, and we’ll see if the putts fall tomorrow.”
