J.J. Spaun Wins BMW PGA Championship After Presidents Cup Snub

J.J. Spaun closed with four birdies over his last five holes to win the BMW PGA Championship by two strokes on Sunday at Wentworth, finishing at 17-under 271 in his first appearance at the European tour's flagship event, according to ESPN.

How did Spaun close out the win?

Spaun shot a final-round 5-under 67, starting his surge with a tee shot to 3 feet on the par-3 14th. He followed with 15-foot birdie putts on the 15th and 16th, then two-putted for birdie on the par-5 18th to seal the victory, per ESPN. The 36-year-old Californian's four birdies in five holes turned a crowded leaderboard into a two-shot margin by the time he finished.

It was Spaun's second victory of the 2026 season. He also won the Texas Open in April and is the reigning U.S. Open champion, having won at Oakmont last year, ESPN reported. His Wentworth title makes him the third American to win the BMW PGA Championship in the past six years.

What happened to Manuel Elvira on the final hole?

Spaun needed help down the stretch from Manuel Elvira, the 30-year-old Spaniard who made a 9-foot eagle putt on the par-5 17th to draw level with Spaun atop the leaderboard, according to ESPN. That set up a finish in which Elvira needed only a birdie on the closing par-5 18th to force a playoff.

Elvira chose an iron off the tee, leaving himself 254 yards to the green, and opted to lay up. That shot found a bunker. His recovery sailed over the green, his next chip landed in another bunker, and he finished with a double bogey for a 70. "Devastating that I hit the wrong shot at the right time on the layup and left myself the toughest shot in the fairway bunker and wasn't able to pull it off," Elvira said, per ESPN.

Why does the win follow Spaun's Presidents Cup exclusion?

Spaun was left off the U.S. Presidents Cup team as a captain's pick ahead of next week's matches outside Chicago, and he said the decision motivated his performance at Wentworth. "I played with a huge chip on my shoulder," Spaun said, according to ESPN. "I definitely had something to prove this week, but everything happens for a reason."

The timing places Spaun's BMW PGA title just days before the Presidents Cup begins without him, despite his U.S. Open championship and a second PGA Tour win this year. ESPN's report did not include comment from the Presidents Cup captain or PGA Tour officials on the selection process, and none was available in the source material.

Who else contended at Wentworth?

Elvira, Rory McIlroy, Adam Scott and PGA champion Aaron Rai finished in a four-way tie for second place, each two shots back of Spaun, ESPN reported. McIlroy shot a final-round 68, as did Scott, while Rai carded a 66. All four were within range of the lead in the final hour before Spaun's late birdie run separated him from the pack.

ESPN's report noted that Race to Dubai leader Patrick Reed had already withdrawn from the tournament with a hand injury, and Jon Rahm finished last among those who made the 36-hole cut after rounds of 78 and 77.

What does the win mean for Spaun's season?

Spaun now has two titles in 2026 — the Texas Open in April and the BMW PGA Championship in September — to go with his U.S. Open win last year at Oakmont, according to ESPN. The BMW PGA Championship victory came in his tournament debut at Wentworth, a course that has produced three American champions over the past six seasons.

ESPN's report did not address whether Spaun's win or comments would affect future Presidents Cup selections, and no additional statement from the U.S. captain or team was included in the source material reviewed for this report.