VIRGINIA WATER, England — Former world No. 1 Rory McIlroy ended a tumultuous week by firing a six-under-par 66 in the final round to score a fairytale victory in the BMW PGA Championship at Wentworth Sunday. The Northern Irishman, who broke up with tennis-playing fiancee Caroline Wozniacki a few days ago, finished with a 14-under total of 274 after a remarkable day of ebbing and flowing at the European Tour's flagship event. Ireland's Shane Lowry carded a 68 to take second place on 275 while Dane Thomas Bjorn, who went into the last round holding a five-stroke lead, ballooned to a 75 and had to be content with a share of third spot alongside twice former winner Luke Donald (70). On a topsy-turvy day of glorious sunshine during which the swirling winds and tricky pin positions caused the lead to constantly change hands, it was McIlroy who held his nerve the best. A succession of long putts were holed by the leading players and Donald twice chipped in over the closing stages but the 25-year-old McIlroy ultimately took the tournament by the scruff of the neck with four birdies in the last nine holes. The victory was McIlroy's sixth on the European Tour and his first on the mainland. He had previously triumphed twice in Dubai, twice in the United States and once in Hong Kong. The world number 10 ended his campaign in stylish fashion, birdying the par-five 17th and 18th and he threw his ball high into the grandstands after converting a four-foot putt on the final green. Twice former major winner McIlroy has never looked upon Wentworth as a happy hunting ground. The 2011 US Open and 2012 U.S. PGA champion missed the cut three times in his previous six starts and had a best finish of fifth in 2009. McIlroy began the last day seven shots adrift of Bjorn but went on to equal the biggest final-round comeback in the 60-year history of the BMW PGA Championship. Lowry was three strokes clear of the field after 12 holes but the 13th proved unlucky for the Irishman as he racked up a double-bogey six. He then gained some consolation by sinking a monster putt at the 18th. Donald chipped in from the off the green at the 13th and 16th but he and playing partner Bjorn were undone on the front nine where they both slumped to costly double-bogey sevens at the sixth. World No. 3 Henrik Stenson, who could go top of the rankings depending on incumbent Adam Scott's performance at the Colonial Invitational in Texas later on Sunday, shot a closing 70 to finish tied seventh on 280. Matsuyama shares lead Japan's Hideki Matsuyama moved into a four-way share of the lead at the Crowne Plaza Invitational in Texas Saturday, setting up what promises to be a wild final round with 36 players jammed within four strokes. Matsuyama carded a bogey-free six-under 64 to join Americans David Toms (65), Chad Campbell (68) and Chris Stroud (69) at seven-under 203. American Kevin Chappell shot 63, the low round of the week, to join a group of six one stroke behind, while newly-crowned world number one Adam Scott (66) is among another group of seven only two strokes back. However, so many players are in striking distance that the only thing that can be stated with confidence is that the winner will have to go low Sunday. Nordqvist moves to the top Sweden's Anna Nordqvist fired a flawless six-under par 66 Saturday to seize the lead in the Airbus LPGA Classic. Nordqvist's six birdies included four in a row from the second through fifth, and she drained a clutch par putt at 18 to preserve her a bogey-free round and a one-shot lead over Scotland's Catriona Matthew. Matthew had led after each of the first two rounds, finishing both Thursday and Friday one stroke in front of English teenager Charley Hull. — Agencies
