VIRGINIA WATER, England — J.J. Spaun closed with a 5-under 67 to win the BMW PGA Championship by two shots Sunday at Wentworth in his debut at the European tour's flagship event, while Jacob Bridgeman fired a 10-under 61 to rally for a two-shot victory at the Biltmore Championship Asheville at The Cliffs at Walnut Grove.
Spaun, the U.S. Open champion last year at Oakmont, made four birdies on his last five holes to secure his second victory of the year and become the third American to win at Wentworth in the last six years. The finish was aided by a late collapse from Manuel Elvira, the 30-year-old Spaniard who made a 9-foot eagle on the par-5 17th to tie for the lead, then chose iron off the tee on the par-5 18th, laid up into a bunker from 254 yards, hit over the green and dumped a chip into a bunker for a double bogey and a 70. Elvira tied for second with Masters champion Rory McIlroy, Adam Scott and PGA champion Aaron Rai.
In Asheville, N.C., the 26-year-old Bridgeman from South Carolina erased a five-shot deficit with the lowest round of his young PGA Tour career to win the Biltmore Championship. The victory came hours after Spaun's win in England, where Spaun responded to being left off the U.S. Presidents Cup team, while Bridgeman reinforced why he was selected for the U.S. team for next week outside Chicago. J.T. Poston narrowly missed a 25-foot putt for 59 and Ben James also shot 61 in rain-softened conditions, while 54-hole leader Neal Shipley did not make his first birdie until the par-5 eighth and could not keep pace.
In Columbus, Ohio, Sandy Scott of Scotland rallied from four shots behind with a 6-under 65 for a one-shot victory over John Marshall Butler in the Nationwide Children's Hospital Championship at the Scarlett course at Ohio State University. Scott, who played college golf at Texas Tech, birdied two of his last three holes to finish at 18-under 266, moving to No. 2 on the Korn Ferry Tour points list and securing a top-20 finish that earns a PGA Tour card for the 2027 season. Barend Botha of South Africa closed with a 61 to finish third.
Elsewhere Sunday, Charlie Crockett of England closed with a 4-under 66 to win the ATB Classic in Edmonton, Alberta, at 18 under by two shots in the PGA Tour Americas regular-season finale; Kary Hollenbaugh won the Epson Tour's Murphy USA El Dorado Shootout in Arkansas with an eagle on the second playoff hole over Kate Smith-Stroh; Pavit Tangkamolprasert holed a 4-foot birdie on the final hole for a 6-under 66 and a one-shot Asian Tour win over Kazuki Higa at the Yeangder Tournament Players Championship; Hirotaro Naito won the ANA Open on the Japan Golf Tour by five after a 6-under 66; and Charlotte Health won the La Sella Open in Spain on the Ladies European Tour by two despite a 1-over 73. The day's earlier action at Wentworth followed JJ Spaun Fires 67 to Win BMW PGA Championship at Wentworth and the Biltmore field included Haotong Li Fires Career-Low 61 to Boost PGA Tour Card Bid at Biltmore.