Spaun edges McIlroy, Elvira to win PGA Championship

J.J. Spaun won the 2026 BMW PGA Championship at Wentworth Club after closing with a 5-under 67 to finish at 17-under and two shots clear of the field.

Spaun started the final round one shot behind the leaders, Manuel Elvira and Filippo Celli,  but moved into the top of the tournament with four birdies across his final five holes. The American finished at 17-under 271 in his first appearance at the event.

His victory came after he was left out of the United States Presidents Cup team. Spaun said the decision gave him a “huge chip on his shoulder” during the week, and he carried that motivation into the final round, putting together one of the best finishes of his season.

Rory McIlroy, Aaron Rai, Adam Scott and Manuel Elvira all finished at 15-under to share second place.

McIlroy remained in contention late in the round after an eagle on the 16th and a birdie on the 17th. 

Elvira also had a chance to stay in the title race after making an eagle on the 17th, but a double-bogey on the final hole dropped him back to 15-under.

Spaun’s closing stretch gave him enough room to avoid a final-hole battle with the chasing group. His 67 followed rounds of 70, 66 and 68, giving him a four-round total of 271 on the par-72 Wentworth layout.

The result makes Spaun only the third American to win the BMW PGA Championship, following Arnold Palmer and Billy Horschel. He is also the first player since 2015 to win the tournament on his debut at Wentworth.

Spaun collects $1.53 million from the $9 million prize fund and adds a Rolex Series title to his career record.

The win also gives him an important result ahead of the Presidents Cup after he missed out on selection for the United States team.