In the final tournament before the Ryder Cup at Bethpage Black, it was the members of the European team, albeit the players who won the 2025 BMW PGA Championship. Recently named vice captain by Luke Donald, Alex Noren won the second BMW PGA Championship title of his career.
Noren finished at age 19 in regulations before making a birdie in the first playoff hole that passed Adrian Sadia for the title. This victory marks Noren’s third Rolex series victory and the 12th of his DP World Tour career. His 11th time came to just two starts at the Masters in the UK, as he found his way into a circle of winners twice in his last three tournaments after winning the world that the Swedes have won over the past seven years.
“There are so many emotions right now,” Noren said. “The playoffs felt a little brighter than they were down hole 72. It was a little better. I thrust a blow (second shot) into the water…and I was lucky with a good break. The chips were sitting pretty neat.
Noren shared a 54-hole lead, while Saddier entered the final round at Wentworth thanks to par-5 18th place Eagle to hone Saturday’s action. The 43-year-old continued to roll momentum Sunday as he made birdies on two of his first four holes and rose through many of his playing partners.
Returning the par 3 fourth, Noren made one clear from the French as two avoided runs that featured Aaron Rye and Patrick Reid first on the golf course. Sadier made a birdie on three of the first five holes in the back nine.
On the final two holes posing for a par 5 at Wentworth, Noren quickly came to match Sadia with a birdie bid from the distance on No. 17. The last PAR replacement meant going back to the teebox due to the extra holes.
In the playoffs, Noren tried to head out to the protected green for the second time and got a chance break when the ball settled left with a water hazard lined up in green. With three Saddier long of the Sforess lying there, Noren clicked on the third third and quickly became completely perfect, tapping for a birdie in the moment to secure another trophy.
While Noren’s name will be re-engraved in the BMW PGA Championship, it was the names of 12 members of the European Ryder Cup team who led most of this week’s attention. The trio of Tyrrell Hatton, Viktor Hovland and Matt Fitzpatrick finished in the top five, while Rory McIlroy finished in the final round of 65 with strong closing efforts from Jon Rahm and Tommy Fleetwood. Robert Macintyre and Rasmus Højgaard were just two players on the roster who missed the cut.
“I think we’re definitely in Rider Cup mode,” McIlroy said. “We had a really good team dinner with the caddy on Tuesday night, and my wife and partner were there too, and we are ready to go on this practice trip to New York tonight.
“Yeah, it’s kind of a thing. I had a lot of talk and lot of chats and a lot of things to think about the Ryder Cup, but I still want to get it right this week. I saw a glimpse of that.
The European team is currently planning to travel to New York and make a scouting trip to Beth Page Black. The team will play the hosting Ryder Cup course over two days and will be staying all over the US for a week to assimilate to the difference in time zones. Not all 12 need to stick together, as some return to homes on the East Coast of the United States, while others play a variety of golf courses in the New York area.
As the Ryder Cup begins, Europe lifts the cup in conflicting soils, trying to become its first away team since 2012. Both McIlroy and Justin Rose were on European teams who returned from a 10-6 deficit on Sunday’s singles to shock the Americans in Medina. So did their principal, Captain Luke Donald.
“Well, this is not the first time that a miracle has happened twice. I’ve come to have faith,” Rahm said he could win the Ryder Cup in US soil. “I think we’re playing well and I think we’re going to face what we’re going to face at Bethpage and hopefully we’re enough team to face the Cup.”
