Winner: José Maria Olazábal
67 68 71 65 = 271
First prize: £133,330
Like Langer twelve months earlier, José Maria Olazábal arrived at Wentworth Club with a Green Jacket hanging in his locker at Augusta National.
And, in masterly fashion, the Spaniard proceeded to add the Volvo PGA Championship to his first major title.
Helped by some swing changes by John Jacobs, Olazábal had ended a two-year drought earlier in the Spring. Then, buoyed by his superb victory in the Masters Tournament, he took the Volvo PGA title in dynamic style, ahead of Ernie Els.
The battle for supremacy of the fearsome West Course was a titanic one. It threw two of the ‘young guns’ of world golf into direct opposition, and their thrilling display kept the huge crowds enthralled over all four days.
Greatly contrasting in physique and technique, these two magnificent golfers delivered the goods. Els sparked into life immediately, shooting a pair of 66s to open a two-stroke lead at halfway from another Spaniard, Miguel Angel Jiménez. Olazábal was one shot further behind.
Bernhard Langer had joined the two Spaniards, still three behind after 54 holes, but Olazábal hit Els with his heavy artillery on the final day, shooting a 65 to the South Africa’s 69 for a one shot win. He admitted: “I did it more from the heart and stomach than anything else.”
