For the second week in a row, Rory McIlroy missed out on the DP World Tour title.
The 35-year-old was on course to win last week's Irish Open before a late surge by Rasmus Hojgaard saw him finish second, and again missed out at the BMW PGA Championship after a three-way playoff with Thriston Lawrence and Billy Horschel.
When Lawrence lost after the first playoff hole, Horschel clinched the win with an eagle on the second, while McIlroy also tried for eagle but missed by inches.
While the painful manner of his defeat at Wentworth must have been difficult for McIlroy to process, he insisted afterwards that, overall, he was happy with the state of his game.
“I played well for two weeks in a row,” he said. “It just wasn't good enough. But you know, I'm happy with the way I'm doing and the way things are going. I'll take a week off here and then go back to Dunhill in a couple of weeks to get back into shape.”
Billy Horschel beats McIlroy with eagle on second playoff hole
(Image source: Getty Images)
The missed finish was the latest in a string of runner-up finishes for McIlroy this year. The four-time major champion tied for second in the Dubai Invitational, his first tournament of 2024, and then had the worst match of his career when he lost a two-shot lead to Bryson DeChambeau on the back nine of the final round of the U.S. Open.
McIlroy has also won the Dubai Desert Classic, New Orleans Zurich Classic and Wells Fargo Championship, but there is no doubt that McIlroy feels he could have achieved more glory because he came close so many times.
McIlroy's runner-up finish came a week after he tied for second at the Irish Open.
(Image source: Getty Images)
Despite his recent setback, he is determined to see the positives and told Sky Sports shortly after the Wentworth match that he is excited about the future. “I'm really proud to be able to practice my swing and still have a chance to win,” he said.
“I'm excited for the future” 🤩 Rory McIlroy reacts after finishing 2nd on the DP World Tour for the second week in a row pic.twitter.com/Wvzx8ld40ZSeptember 22, 2024
“I'm looking forward to the future. I played well and kept giving myself chances. Only two people have beaten me in the last two weeks. I'm happy with my performance and I just need to cheer up and get ready for the last three matches of the year.”
Losing is hard. Family makes it easier❤️#BMWPGA | #RolexSeries pic.twitter.com/mxc8hey0S6September 22, 2024
McIlroy, who was seen outside Wentworth with wife Erica Stoll and their daughter Poppy shortly after the final round, now has a week off to reflect on his performance at the BMW PGA Championship before heading to Scotland for his first event, the Alfred Dunhill Links Championship on Oct. 3 at the Old Course at St. Andrews.
