Joy for JJ Spaun but misery for Manuel Elvira in BMW PGA Championship

On his debut, JJ Spaun made it three US successes at the Surrey venue in the last six editions. Spaun, last year’s US Open champion, birdied four of the last five holes to sign off with a 67 and set the clubhouse target on 17 under in the third last group.

Spaniard Manuel Elvira, the world No 294 and chasing the first professional win of his career, came to the par-5 18th - he’d eagled the 17th - needing a par to force a play-off. In a painful finish, he found sand with his lay up then again from through the back of the green before missing a three-footer. In signing off with a double-bogey 7, Elvira had to settle for a share of second spot, which left him losing out on $400,000 if he’d been second on his own. Ouch!

In the end, Spaun, who, surprisingly, didn’t secure one of Brandt Snedeker’s US captain’s picks for next week’s Presidents Cup at Medinah, claimed a top prize worth $1.53 million by two shots from Elvira, Rory McIlroy, Adam Scott and Aaron Rai.

“It means so much,” said Spaun of his victory. “You know, I've kind of blossomed into this player I never thought I could be, and to take my game across the world, and more specifically here in England, a place that's dear to my family's heart, we vacation here quite a bit. The stars kind of aligned this week for me to come out on top, and I'm just grateful to have the opportunity and play and play well and give myself a chance and came out with a W.”

Elvira, younger brother of three-time DP World Tour winner Nacho, was consoled by his girlfriend coming off the 18th green. “Devastating that I hit the wrong shot at the right time on the lay up and left myself the toughest shot in the fairway bunker, and wasn't able to pull it off,” he replied being asked for his thoughts. “I've played some of the best golf probably of my life. I was in contention and I wasn't really that nervous.”

On a glorious autumn day in Surrey, Andy Sullivan, who was out in one of the early groups, carded a 64 to post 13 under as the clubhouse before it became 14 under as Dutchman Joost Luiten also signed off with an eight-under salvo. Like Sullivan’s effort, Luiten’s eye-catching card contained an eagle and seven birdies, yet it always looked likely that his target would be beaten, with PGA champion Rai being the first to do so.

The Englishman, who’d felt nervous and even a bit star struck when he teed off in the opening round on Thursday in McIlroy’s company, made his move with three birdies on the spin from the second before repeating the feat from the 12th to jump to the top of the leaderboard.

Unable to birdie either the 17th or 18th - he was blocked out with his tee shot at the last and opted to lay up - the Wolverhampton man signed for a 66, which matched his first-day effort - to set 15 under as the new clubhouse target for the likes of Spaun, McIlroy and Elvira in the groups behind him.

Two under for the day through ten holes, McIlroy suffered an untimely setback as a duffed chip from a sandy lie ended up in the bunker in front of him, though he then did well to limit the damage to a bogey before producing one of the shots of the season at the par-5 12th.

His tee shot ended up in trees on the left, forcing him to aim miles out to the right and try to turn one over, which he did to such good effect that he almost got it on the green and made birdie there then at the par-3 14th and par-5 17th as well. He’d eagled the par-5 18th on Saturday but had to settle for a par on this occasion.

By that time, Spaun had swept into contention and, helped by birdies at the 14th, 15th, 16th and 18th coupled with Elvira’s sore journey up the last, the Californian, who already loved the UK through visits to the Cotswolds on the back of watching Jeremy Clarkson’s hit TV show Clarkson’s Farm, had reason to love it even more on this trip across the Atlantic.

In securing his share of second spot, McIlroy closed the gap on another American, Patrick Reed, at the top of the Race to Dubai. “Yeah, I'm excited,” admitted McIlroy, who is bidding to equal Colin Montgomerie’s record of eighth Harry Vardon Trophy triumphs, of his position heading into the final few weeks of the season. “I have three events (the next being the DP World India Championship) until the end of my DP World Tour season. I'm not sure what Patrick's schedule looks like coming up, but I feel like I have enough opportunities.”

After finishing birdie-birdie-eagle for a closing 69 and 13-under total, Bob MacIntyre finished in a tie for tenth, which lifted him ten spots to 64th in the Race to Dubai heading into his upcoming Alfred Dunhill Links Championship title defence on home soil.

David Law signed off with a 70, which included six birdies, for a seven-under total. In finishing joint-43rd, the Aberdonian jumped nine spots to 99th in the Race to Dubai, with the cut-off for card retention on this occasion being the top 100.

Ewen Ferguson, who closed with a 72, - it contained two birdies in the last three holes - to end up in a tie for 56th five under. It was a drop for him, though, in the season-long points table as he slipped six places to 44th. The top 50 qualify for the season-ending DP World Tour Championship.