Everything you need to know from last week's BMW PGA Championship.
Noren claims second Wentworth win
Alex Noren secured his second BMW PGA Championship title after making a birdie at the first play-off hole to finally see off Adrien Saddier following an enthralling final round.
With nothing to separate the pair after a thrilling back-nine battle, a play-off was required to pick a winner.
And after both players sent their second shots into the rough just shy of the water at the first extra hole, they were neck and neck once again.
But the in-form Swede, who won his first crown at Wentworth Club in the inaugural Rolex Series event in 2017, managed to lift his ball to three feet before tapping in the birdie putt to claim his 12th DP World Tour title and second of the season.
After clinching his third Rolex Series title, he said: "So many emotions right now. In the play-off it felt maybe a little bit easier than coming down the 72nd hole - a little bit better conditions.
"I thought I hit my approach (in the play-off) in the water but I had a great lie so I tried to put it up here on the right side of the green and then got fortunate with a good break.
"The chip was sitting quite nicely. I saw his ball didn't catch as nice of a break maybe. So it makes a difference."
With victory, Noren became the most decorated Swede in DP World Tour history with 12 wins and added: "I never thought I would do that growing up. When you say it, it feels quite big. I'm extremely, extremely happy and proud. I've kind of dug deep many times and it's a long career. I hopefully have some more good years in me."
Saddier flying high
Saddier may be disappointed with a second close call in as many weeks, but a play-off loss to Noren continued what is becoming a career year for the Frenchman.
The 33-year-old jumped up eight spots to third in the Race to Dubai Rankings, just 373.91 points behind Marco Penge in second, with the top 70 qualifying for the penultimate Rolex Series event at the Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship.
The top 50 following the week at Yas Links will then head to the season finale at the DP World Tour Championship.
Saddier, who earned his first professional victory at the 2016 Fred Olsen Challenge de Espana, has spent four separate spells on the DP World Tour in his career. He most recently graduated for a third time from DP World Tour Qualifying School at the end of the 2022 season, with two top 100 finishes in the Rankings the past two years.
This season has been a breakthrough for him, claiming his maiden title on his 200th career start on the DP World Tour earlier this year in Italy, which in turn earned him his first start in a Major Championship at The Open Championship at Royal Portrush.
Boasting six top tens this season, the BMW PGA Championship was a second consecutive week at the top end of the leaderboard for Saddier, who held a one-shot leading heading into the final round of the Amgen Irish Open before going toe to toe with Noren at Wentworth Club. The Frenchman fell away to fifth in Ireland but pushed Noren all the way, ultimately beaten by a birdie on the first play-off hole.
The perfect preparation
Shortly after play ended at Wentworth, the 11 members of Europe's Ryder Cup team who had teed it up at boarded a plane and, along with Captain Luke Donald, the Vice Captains and staff, headed to Bethpage for a practice trip.
Soon the time for talk and practice will be over but Rory McIlroy and Jon Rahm felt four rounds at Wentworth was a great way to prepare foir golf's biggest contest.
"Last competitive round going into the Ryder Cup so nice to finish on a high." said McIlroy.
"I think we definitely are getting into Ryder Cup mode. We had a really good team dinner on Tuesday night with the caddies, and the wives and the partners were there as well. We're getting ready to go on this practice trip tonight to New York.
"There's been a lot of talk and a lot of chat and a lot of thinking about the Ryder Cup. But you still want to play well this week.
"I saw a glimpse of that. There was a lot of birdies and eagles and just a few too many bogeys and double bogeys to have a chance to win but overall, happy with the week and obviously very excited for what's to come in a couple of weeks' time."
Rahm added: "I think we're playing good enough and we are a good and strong enough team to face what we are going to face at Bethpage and hopefully end up with the cup."
McIlroy inches from milestone moment
Rory McIlroy has achieved pretty much everything in the game.
On top of his almost countless trophies and accolades, this year he famously won the Masters Tournament to complete the career Grand Slam and join Walter Hagen, Gene Sarazen, Gary Player, Jack Nicklaus and Tigers Woods as the only men to have done so.
But do you know what he's never done? Made an albatross.
He was this close on Sunday.
Cutting it fine
In what is a golfing rarity, we had not one cut but two at Wentworth Club.
Upon completion of round two, with Ricardo Gouveia – playing in the final three-ball alongside Fabrizio Zanotti and Darren Fichardt – birdieing the par five 18th, 86 players made the cut on 142 (-2) and better.
As a result, with more than 84 players progressing for the final two rounds, and under the discretion of the Tournament Director, there was an additional cut after the third round to a maximum of 78 players, with 73 making it to Sunday.
Ever the entertainer, Tommy Fleetwood made it on the number on both occasions.
This was the first time such a third-round cut has been required in a comparable event since the Hero Dubai Desert Classic in 2023, when 87 players and ties made the final two rounds.
