PGA Championship: Francesco Molinari wins at Wentworth by two from Rory McIlroy

Italy’s Francesco Molinari has gained the PGA Championship at Wentworth by two photographs from fellow in a single day chief Rory McIlroy.

Final year’s runner-up Molinari completed on 17 beneath after a closing-day sixty eight.

Northern Eire’s McIlroy, winner in 2014, carded a two-beneath-par 70 on Sunday to pause 2nd on the European Tour’s flagship event.

Denmark’s Lucas Bjerregaard and defending champion Alex Noren from Sweden tied 1/three, a shot extra assist.

Bjerregaard, who bogeyed the foremost, carded the spherical of the day with a seven-beneath 65.

Matthew Fitzpatrick used to be primarily the most efficient-positioned Englishman, finishing with an eagle on the 18th to race to 10 beneath in a tie for eighth alongside compatriot Ross Fisher.

Northern Eire’s Graeme McDowell used to be a shot extra assist, one forward of Eire’s Shane Lowry and 21-year-frail Sam Horsfield.

The 2017 Flee to Dubai champion, Tommy Fleetwood, completed on seven beneath, tied with Ian Poulter and Paul Casey, while Lee Westwood ended at six beneath after a closing-spherical Seventy four.

McIlroy’s articulate falls short

Molinari, who easiest hit two bogeys in his four rounds this week, used to be barely tested by McIlroy right by the finest spherical.

McIlroy, the sector quantity eight, had led by three photographs on the midway stage but used to be pegged assist after a seventy one on Saturday.

It used to be a procession for world quantity 32 Molinari on Sunday as he went by the entrance nine in three beneath par.

McIlroy used to be degree by nine, struggling to assault the chief. He uncared for fairways and greens, and did not residing up birdie probabilities.

A bogey four on the tenth seen McIlroy’s articulate falter extra as he dropped assist into the chasing pack.

Birdies on the seventeenth and 18th lifted McIlroy to 2nd outright and made the finest rating appear closer, but in point of fact Molinari cruised to the discover with one other flawless spherical.

McIlroy, who had been buying for a « spark » in Surrey to ignite his season, with The Delivery initiating on 19 July, will see this as a uncared for different.

His 2018 campaign has infrequently been a bother due to this of a courageous victory within the Arnold Palmer Invitational and three diversified high-5 finishes.

On the opposite hand, he has also uncared for three cuts and did not entire the profession Gigantic Slam after a disappointing closing spherical within the Masters.

« It is disappointing, » mentioned McIlroy. « He [Molinari] used to be cherish a robotic, he would not take to every other line. I would appreciate wished a immense spherical to beat him.

« Right this moment I played same to Saturday, I could presumably also no longer gather going and gave Molinari a lead early on. It used to be a minute too late for me within the pause. »

Molinari takes house the winner’s prize of 1,000,000 euros (£875,000) and can fair appreciate also pushed himself into the Thomas Bjorn’s thoughts for Europe’s Ryder Cup with increased rating parts now on offer within the dash-up to the contest in France in September.

The 35-year-frail Italian, who played within the Ryder Cup in 2010 and 2012, mentioned: « If I could presumably also decide one match to discover in my profession it could perchance in point of fact presumably perhaps be this one.

« The Ryder Cup is incredibly special. It hurts to conception it on TV. You indubitably are trying to be there. I’ve been lucky to be on two excellent groups and I hope to be in a situation to discover a 1/three time. »

Diagnosis

BBC golf correspondent Iain Carter

Right here’s a qualified discover within the context of the Ryder Cup with extra weighting of parts enabling Molinari to soar into 1/three set within the qualification desk.

On this gather the Italian could presumably perhaps be a comely addition to Europe’s team. His steadiness makes him an very ideal foursomes partner and assist in 2012 he beat Tiger Woods within the singles to cap the Miracle at Medinah.