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The BMW PGA Championship: The flagship event of the European Tour season. Crowds crammed into Wentworth's iconic grounds in sweltering heat like sardines in a sauna. On Saturday I joined them, and here's what happened.
The McIlroy Effect
Many of my fellow sardines appeared only interested in one man. Fortunately for them, the interest was clearly mutual as Rory McIlroy greeted one spectator with a suspected broken arm and another with a bloodied face. Oh, and he managed to catch a marshal with an errant ball for good measure. My decision to follow Francesco Molinari and Kiradech Aphibarnat instead of McIlroy was based more on anticipation of quality golf than a fear of stray golf balls, but it paid off in more ways than one.
With the Northern Irishman in possession of a three-stroke lead at -12 and his nearest competitors a couple of relative unknowns in Sam Horsfield and Sebastian Gros, I can only imagine that the on-screen statistics in the Championship Village of his poor record when leading after 36 holes was designed more to convince people the tournament was still worth watching than to deter people from playing follow the leader. However, that's exactly what it did for me.
Marvellous Molinari
Watching Molinari on Saturday was an absolute treat. Seemingly incapable of putting a foot wrong, the Italian oozed class. He was blissfully unaware of McIlroy's struggles, but continued to track down the World No. 6 with a flawless 66. A wayward approach shot left him with a tricky chip over the water on the 18th, but he executed it to perfection to make par in style. He may have usurped the fan-favourite, but he managed to win those fans over in the process. A deserving winner.
Ryder Cup Ready
Bearing in mind that there was still another round to play in the tournament, as Molinari approached the 18th green on Saturday the crowd was already abuzz with talk of his Ryder Cup ranking. The announcement of Team Europe's vice-captains earlier in the week and the start of the accelerated ranking points (all points earned are now multiplied by 1.5 until Made in Denmark) clearly had people excited, and with newly-appointed vice-captains Graeme McDowell and Lee Westwood entering the weekend at -6 and -5 respectively, the crowds were excited. On Saturday, Westwood moved to -8 and T7 with his second round of 69 on the bounce to really get people talking.
Are You Not Entertained?
There are few golf tournaments with the same level of interaction and entertainment for fans. The Championship Village offered a variety of games and experiences, including a 100-foot putt challenge and the chance to win a trip to Seychelles by watching the golf from a bed (don't ask!), and performances from Rudimental and Simple Minds to close out Saturday and Sunday respectively. Combine that with great golf and you have yourself one of the most popular events on the European Tour calendar.
What's in the Bag - Francesco Molinari
Driver: TaylorMade M4
3-Wood: TaylorMade M3
5-Wood: TaylorMade M4
Irons: TaylorMade P790
Wedges: TaylorMade Milled Grind
Putter: Bettinardi Dass BBZero
Golf Ball: Titleist Pro V1x
Written by Joe Carabini
