Molinari wins PGA Championship as McIlroy fades

LONDON — Italian Franceso Molinari won the PGA Championship title at Wentworth on Sunday as Rory McIlroy faded in the final round to miss out on the chance of victory in the European Tour’s flagship tournament for the second time.

The pair started the day level on 13 under par and while Molinari carded a flawless 68 to finish at 17 under, McIlroy’s 70 left him two shots adrift in second place despite birdies at the last two holes.

“It is disappointing,” said Northern Ireland’s McIlroy who won the Wentworth tournament in 2014. “He [Molinari] was like a robot, he doesn’t hit it off line. I would have needed a great round to beat him.

“Today I played similar to Saturday, I could not get going and gave Molinari a lead early on. It was a little too late for me in the end.”

McIlroy, four-times major champion, wasted a birdie opportunity on the second hole and Molinari birdied the third and fourth to move two clear.

McIlroy dropped shots at the ninth and 10th holes to leave Molinari three ahead, and he never looked like losing his lead until the 18th.

He was close to finding water as McIlroy set up an eagle opportunity, but the Italian’s ball came to a rest on the fringe and the world number 32 safely made par to claim the title after finishing runner-up last year.

Molinari, 35, continued his fine record at Wentworth, having finished in the top 10 in five of the last six years, and boosted his chances of earning a place in Europe’s Ryder Cup team after being on the winning side in 2010 and 2012. 

“If I could pick one tournament to win in my career it would be this one,” Molinari said.

“The Ryder Cup is very special. It hurts to watch it on TV. You really want to be there. I’ve been lucky to be on two winning teams and I hope to be able to win a third time.”

Denmark’s Lucas Bjerregaard, who birdied five of the back nine, and defending champion Alex Noren of Sweden finished in a tie for third on 14 under par.

Meanwhile, Justin Rose used a blistering start to cruise to his second win of the PGA Tour season with a three-shot victory at the Fort Worth Invitational in Texas on Sunday.

The Englishman, who began the day with a four-stroke lead, fired six front-nine birdies en route to a six-under-par 64 at Colonial Country Club that left him one shot off the tournament record score of 21-under 259 set by Zach Johnson in 2010.

With the victory, Rose tied Nick Faldo for the most PGA Tour wins by an Englishman post-World War Two, with nine.

“I am delighted the way I played this week,” said Rose, who played the course for the first time in eight years. “I haven’t played this venue in a while but to win on a golf course like Colonial I couldn’t be more proud.”

Olympic champion Rose had a chance to equal Johnson’s record score but failed to convert his 23-foot par attempt at the last, where he carded his second bogey of the day.

US Open champion Brooks Koepka, who started the final round in a share of second place with Argentine Emiliano Grillo (64), finished alone in the runner-up spot after going one better than playing competitor Rose with a seven-under 63.

Grillo birdied two of the final three holes to finish in third place, four shots behind Rose while sizzling American Kevin Na finished a further two shots back in fourth place after he set a course record with a bogey-free, nine-under 61.

Rose, whose first win this season came at last October’s World Golf Championships-HSBC Champions in Shanghai, got off to a fast start with consecutive birdies to open his round before settling for a bogey at the par-four third where he failed to convert an 11-foot birdie putt.

But that did little to take the wind from the former US Open champion’s sails as he birdied four of the final five holes on the front nine before adding another pair at the 11th and 15th holes.

Despite the solid outing, Rose said he still felt he had work to do before next month’s US Open at Shinnecock Hills, where he will seek his second career major.

“This week was a big step in the right direction, taking the range game to the golf course,” said Rose. “There is always a little bit of a lag effect, you know you see your progress on the range long before you see it on the golf course.

“This week it came for me but there is still more work to be done.”