BMW Championship as it happened: Shane Lowry beats McIlroy and Rahm by a shot at Wentworth to win

Rory McIlroy on Sky: Shane and I have become incredibly close after the last few years. Shane was putting together a sneakily good year without a win. I feel he’s playing the most consistent golf of his career. I think he’s improving as a player, he’s becoming a more well-rounded player. I see it at home, I see it when he plays out. He deserves it, he’s been knocking on the door. I think we’re both sticking around tonight, so maybe we’ll grab a couple of drinks!”

Final scores at the BMW Championship

Shane Lowry -17

Jon Rahm, Rory McIlroy -16

Talor Gooch -15

Patrick Reed, Thomas Detry, Soren Kjeldsen, Viktor Hovland -14

Shane Lowry on Sky: “It means a lot. It’s been a good year, but I felt I’ve been close a few times, I only have a few tournaments left this season, I really wanted to win one, this one was right at the top of the list.

“I really love it here, I contended in the past. The bad shots I hit over the years in contention actually started to creep into my head, it’s amazing what this game does. I’m so happy. I can’t put it into words how much I love this tour, how much I love this tournament. I’m the happiest man in the world right now.”

Shane Lowry and Rory McIlroy embrace as McIlroy says congratulations. A lovely moment among Ireland’s best two golfers. A memorable day. Lowry’s winning shot:

McIlroy’s putt misses agonisingly! Shane Lowry has won the BMW Championship at Wentworth!

Scores:

Lowry -17

Rahm, McIlroy -16

Gooch -15

Standing ovation for Shane Lowry. An outstanding 65 at Wentworth on Sunday. 242 yards, McIlroy hits a big draw into birdie range! What drama. An eagle putt for a playoff with Lowry.

Scores:

Lowry -17

Rahm -16

McIlroy, Gooch -15

BIRDIE FOR LOWRY! Lowry’s putt down the hill tracks at the hole but just stops short. He taps it in for birdie! He moves into the lead. Only an eagle from McIlroy can catch him.

Scores:

Lowry -17

Rahm -16

McIlroy, Gooch -15

McIlroy hits a 3-wood off the tee at the last over the corner of the trees. Right down the middle. He likely needs an eagle after Lowry’s shot.

Scores:

Lowry, Rahm -16

McIlroy, Gooch -15

BRILLIANT SHOT BY LOWRY! Drills an iron right into the middle of the green at 18. Eagle putt coming up from medium range. He walks it in to cheers with a fist pump.

Scores:

Lowry, Rahm -16

McIlroy, Gooch -15

Rory’s pitch was thinned a bit and didn’t get spin. His putt fades to the right and that’s a missed opportunity on 17. Par. Meanwhile, LIV golfer Talor Gooch eagles the last hole to get to -15, lots of important world ranking points there.

Scores:

Lowry, Rahm -16

McIlroy, Gooch -15

Superb drive from Lowry at the 18th as he cuts the corner on the right. Couldn’t place it better, at first it looked tight to the trees. All to play for.

Scores:

Lowry, Rahm -16

McIlroy -15

Lowry’s putt slips by to the right. No birdie on the 17th. One hole left now, needs a birdie to avoid a playoff with Jon Rahm. McIlroy is behind trees but has a wood out. 302 from the pin. Looking for the hero shot... he nails it and gets it near the green. Fantastic shot, still a tricky pitch to get it up and down for birdie.

Scores:

Lowry, Rahm -16

McIlroy -15

McIlroy pushes his drive way right at the 17th, disappointing. Looks like it could be a lay up for him as well. Lowry’s punched wedge leaves himself a birdie chance but he is frustrated, would have liked a closer one left.

Scores:

Lowry, Rahm -16

McIlroy -15

McIlroy misses his birdie putt, it’s all going to come down to the final two par 5s. Lowry hits a low iron down the middle from the rough to lay up, leaving himself a wedge approach into the par 5 for his third.

Scores:

Lowry, Rahm -16

McIlroy -15

Big push by Lowry off the tee at the 17th. Avoided the trouble in the left, but makes the hole more difficult. Here is Rory’s birdie at the 15th.

Lowry leaves his putt a little short at the 16th, work to do to save his par. Not what you want at this stage of the tournament. But he safely makes the par. Two par 5s left. At least one birdie needed. Maybe two with Rory chasing. McIlroy’s approach on 16 is good. Again he’s not fully satisfied but 15 feet for birdie.

Scores:

Lowry, Rahm -16

McIlroy -15

Looks increasingly likely to be an Irish winner at Wentworth today. Rory or Shane? Or will Rahm’s score get him a playoff?

BIRDIE FOR MCILROY! Look out behind, here comes Rory. Big breaking putt from the edge of the green right in the centre of the hole on 15. He moves within one shot of the lead. Lowry’s approach on the 16th is not great. On the fringe, a long putt left.

Scores:

Lowry, Rahm -16

McIlroy -15

Reed, Zanotti -14

Lowry lays up his birdie putt to the hole for another easy par on 15. Picking off the holes until the final charge with the two par 5s to finish. Looks in control of the tournament, unless McIlroy can ignite over the final few holes. At the 15th, McIlroy is slightly off, on the edge of the green, but still a reasonable birdie attempt. Needs to get one against the grain, somewhere, to have a chance of beating Lowry. Lowry is all smiles as he hits a stinger iron down the 16th off the tee.

Scores:

Lowry, Rahm -16

McIlroy, Reed, Zanotti -14

Middle of the green again for Lowry, a little bit farther from the pin this time, on the 15th hole. McIlroy hits his drive in A1 position in the middle of the 15th fairway. Zanotti’s drops the club in disgust at the 17th hole after an awful pull with the driver.

Scores:

Lowry, Rahm -16

McIlroy, Reed, Zanotti -14

Lowry hits a low bullet at the 15th off the tee, swinging beautifully today. McIlroy shows frustration with his tee shot at the 14th. Pushed, but on the green. He leaves himself a long birdie chance, which drifts to the left.

Scores:

Lowry, Rahm -16

McIlroy, Reed, Zanotti -14

Lip outs all around. McIlroy’s chip lips out on the 13th. That would have been one against the field. It’s a par. Lowry’s birdie putt down the hill at 14 catches the edge of the hole but doesn’t fall in. Another par too.

Scores:

Lowry, Rahm - 16

McIlroy, Reed, Zanotti -14

Another beautiful iron by Lowry on the 14th, right over the pin, 20 feet. He looks in control. McIlroy’s approach from the rough at 13 goes over the green, he will need to get up and down to keep the round’s momentum going.

Scores:

Lowry, Rahm -16

McIlroy, Reed, Zanotti -14

Lowry misses his birdie putt on the 13th to the right. He safely makes his par, another hole out of the way. Par his way to the 17th and birdie the last two will make him hard to catch. Hovland is all over the place from the tee today and drives it wayward again on the 12th. Zanotti leaves his birdie putt short on the 14th.

Scores:

Lowry, Rahm -16

McIlroy, Reed, Zanotti -14

Watch Lowry’s bunker mastery on the 12th, which brought him into a share of the lead with Rahm.

BIRDIE FOR MCILROY! McIlroy’s chip from short of the 12th is slightly underwhelming but he holes the putt in the left edge. The chase continues, he’s up to -14, in a tie for third place. He drives it into the semi-rough on the 13th. Ahead, Lowry hits the middle of the green, to the right of the pin again on the 13th.

Scores:

Lowry, Rahm -16

McIlroy, Reed, Zanotti- 14

Watch McIlroy’s big drive at the 11th. He leaves an eight iron into the par 5 short at the 12th. He’s disappointed, needs to get up and down for birdie. Hovland fails with his birdie putt at the 10th. On the 11th, he hits his drive into thick rough. Thomas Detry joins the group on -13.

Scores:

Lowry, Rahm -16

Reed, Zanotti -14

McIlroy, Pavon, Horschel, Detry, Cabrera-Bello, Gooch, Hovland -13

BIRDIE FOR LOWRY! Brilliant bunker shot by the Offaly man to within a few inches of the hole on the par 5 12th. He ties it at the top. Horschel goes into the water at the last.

Scores:

Lowry, Rahm -16

Reed, Zanotti -14

McIlroy, Horschel, Gooch, Pavon, Cabrera-Bello, Hovland -13

McIlroy misses the birdie putt on the 11th as it slips to the right. Talor Gooch joins the group on -13 with a birdie on the 12th. Lowry’s iron approach into the 12th goes into the bunker on the right. Could be a tricky up-and-down for his birdie. Hovland lips out for par on the 9th, drops a shot. McIlroy hits towering massive drive down the middle on the par 5 12th.

Scores:

Rahm -16

Lowry -15

Reed, Zanotti -14

McIlroy, Horschel, Gooch, Cabrera-Bello, Pavon, Hovland -13

Lowry pulls his birdie putt left, it’s a par on 11, but a par 5 to come. McIlroy’s wedge from 75 yards is good, to eight or nine feet. McIlroy doesn’t look happy with it but the end result is good. Hovland is in the trees on the 9th and misses the green with his approach to the right of the green. Lowry hits a beautiful draw at the par 5 12th off the tee. Ideal for attacking the green. Spaniard Rafa Cabrera-Bello joins the group on -13 after a birdie on the 10th.

Scores:

Rahm -16

Lowry -15

Hovland, Reed, Zanotti -14

McIlroy, Pavon, Horschel, Cabrera-Bello -13

Lowry leaves his iron approach on 11 slightly out right but another bidie chance is coming. McIlroy hits massive drive right down the middle on 11 and the chase is on.

ICYMI, earlier Rahm shot a 29 on the back nine with a bogey (!) en route to his 62. Plenty of birdies out there, so Lowry and McIlroy will be looking to get to -17 or -18 by the end of the round. Three par 5s on the back nine at Wentworth. Meanwhile Fabrizio Zanotti has moved to -14.

Scores:

Rahm -16 (18)

Lowry -15 (11)

Reed -14 (18), Zanotti -14 (12), Hovland -14 (8)

Pavon -13 (18), Horschel -13 (17), McIlroy -13 (10)

BIRDIE FOR MCILROY! Rory hits a fine iron shot at the par 3 10th. He makes the must-birdie putt to stay in touch with Lowry and Hovland. He’s -13, three shots back of Rahm. Hovland’s approach spins back close to the water on the eighth, but a birdie chance just flies past the hole.

Scores:

Rahm -16 (18)

Lowry -15 (10)

Hovland -14 (8)

Reed -14 (18)

Pavon -13 (18), McIlroy -13 (10)

The BMW Championship at Wentworth has entered the final stretch, with two Irish players in contention, Shane Lowry and Rory McIlroy.

Shane Lowry has been swinging superbly all round and is five under for the day and 15 under for the tournament. He is second place on his one, a shots behin Jon Rahm. In tied third is Patrick Reed, who is finished after a 63 today, and Viktor Hovland, who has played seven holes.

A three-putt bogey at the eighth proved costly for McIlroy as he’s now four back and will be disappointed with a lacklustre front nine on a benign scoring day. He is in a tie for sixth.

Scores:

Rahm -16 (18)

Lowry -15 (10)

Hovland -14 (7)

Reed -14 (18)

Pavon -13 (18)