Spaun's Revenge: How a Presidents Cup Snub Turned Into a Wentworth Victory

J.J. Spaun answered a Presidents Cup snub in the only language that matters in golf: a trophy. On Sunday at Wentworth, the reigning U.S. Open champion shot a final-round 67 to win the BMW PGA Championship by two strokes over a star-studded group. Spaun birdied four of his last five holes, including the 18th, after opening his round with a bogey. The beaten field included Rory McIlroy, Aaron Rai, Adam Scott and Nacho Elvira, all tied at 15 under. Spaun entered the week as the world No. 17 and held a 2-1-0 Ryder Cup record, yet U.S. Presidents Cup captain Brandt Snedeker left him off six captain's picks announced September 1. Spaun was 10th on the U.S. points list and had not posted a top-20 finish in five starts. The win was a personal statement: a major champion and proven team performer, passed over on recent-form grounds, then validating his class on the DP World Tour's flagship stage. Technically, this was a closing-execution story rather than a stroke-gained masterclass. McIlroy admitted to missing many putts over the weekend, while Elvira's double-bogey on 18 highlighted the finishing hole's risk. Spaun's four-birdie burst was a hot putting window under pressure, not proof of sustained form. He had withdrawn from the Tour Championship with the cause unstated, and he later said he had not planned to play PGA Tour events for the rest of the year. Spaun also signalled a schedule shift, saying he plans to play more DP World Tour events. That reinforces the strategic alliance between the PGA Tour and DP World Tour. The next test is the Presidents Cup at Medinah: if the U.S. team underperforms, the omission will become a bigger story. For now, the record shows Spaun's revenge — four birdies in the last five holes, a 67, and a two-shot victory that needs no further explanation.