Horschel praises European Tour and Wentworth after BMW PGA Championship debut

Billy Horschel was full of praise for the European Tour and Wentworth after BMW PGA Championship debut: “It’s exceeded everything I could have possibly imagined.”

Billy Horschel joined Patrick Reed and Tony Finau as one of several American players making their debut at Wentworth this week, and said he wouldn’t hesitate to recommend that other players make the trip to Surrey.

Horschel, who fired a final round seven-under 65 to finish tied for fourth place alongside Reed on 15-under-par, said that the whole event ‘exceeded’ his expectations and felt it could ‘rival the best of the best on the PGA Tour’. 

“It’s exceeded my expectations,” said Horschel. “It’s a beautiful golf course. To think about the modern day player and technology, it still holds up — yeah, we’re still shooting 17-, 18-under par but the thing about this golf course, you have to put it in the right spots to score well.

“You can’t fake it around here. If you hit shots off-line, you’re going to get penalised for it. It’s a beautiful test of golf and I absolutely have loved my entire week here.”

Horschel admitted earlier in the week that he had been watching the European Tour’s flagship event since he was a young boy and had always had aspirations of playing, and said that he hoped it was a trip he could make every year.

“If this fits in my schedule every year — I hope it does, because I’ve actually loved it, but I’m going to come over here every time,” he said. “I think this event is world-class. The course is world-class. European Tour does an unbelievable job.

“This is my first time playing an actual European event that wasn’t co-sanctioned with another tour and it’s just fabulous. Keith Pelley and his staff and the fans here have just been really warm and welcoming to me.

“Yeah, I will come back and hopefully it fits in my schedule every year because I want to be here because I think I would love to hold this trophy up.”

Asked further if he would tell other PGA Tour players if it was worth coming over to play in the BMW, he insisted he would.

“I’ll tell without being asked,” he said. “I’ll tell them that this is a beautiful week and the course is unbelievable. The way the European Tour putts on a great event, the fans, everything that encompasses this event can rival the best of the best on the PGA TOUR in my opinion.

“Yeah, I’ll tell everyone that came, if they are thinking about coming over here, go ahead and book that ticket.