Danny Willett goes from 462nd in world to victory at BMW PGA Championship as son shows support in dinosaur t-shirt
Danny Willett’s sons must have known something, judging by the jumpers they wore as their dad completed a heart-warming victory at the BMW PGA Championship.
Three year old Zachariah and toddler Noah both had the words ‘Dinos are Forever’ emblazoned across their tops.
And their father showed he is anything but a golfing dinosaur despite his battle for survival after his 2016 Masters triumph, stomping all over world No 6 Jon Rahm to win by three shots.
Back problems and a loss of confidence saw Willett, 31, plunge from ninth in the world to a low of 462nd after he missed the cut in this event last year.
But victory in the DP World Tour Championship in Dubai ten months ago showed the swing changes he made to take the stress off his body back were paying off
Willett fired a brilliant final round 67 to finish on 20 under par, claiming a cheque for £935,000 and climbing back inside the world’s top forty.
He said: “Winning on British soil after I’ve been to so many bad places in the past few years is one of those fairytale stories you never expect to come true.
“There has been a lot of turmoil to go through since the Masters, and no-one apart from my wife Nicole and the members of my team have seen how much hard work went into turning things round.
“There were plenty of days that I would finish hot and bothered, wondering if it was going to pay off. Well, it has, and seeing my name on this fantastic trophy alongside some of the giants of the game makes it extra special
“I feel fortunate that I’m pretty happy in my won skin, and that even on the bad days I realised playing golf for a living is a really beautiful thing to do. It’s all I ever wanted, so I’m incredibly proud to be in this position again.”
Among Willett’s darkest days were his disastrous Ryder Cup debut a few months after winning at Augusta, which was overshadowed by older brother Peter’s ill-timed attacks on American fans.
Peter took to Twitter yesterday to say he was not going to organise a last-minute trip with his three young children because he though Rahm “would ruin the party".
At last he admitted he had got that one badly wrong, as he later added: “I should have taken the kids to Wentworth!”
Willett is only the fourth English player to reach seven European Tour victories – including a Major – alongside Nick Faldo, Tony Jacklin, and Justin Rose, another of his big name victims at Wentworth yesterday.
Willett bagged six birdies in his five under par closing round, including one at the par five final hole, bravely going for the green in two even though closest rival Rahm had already dumped his second into the water.
But the highlight of his round was his only bogey, at the tough 11th hole, where he was in danger of running up a huge number.
He hoiked his drive into the trees, sent his second clattering around a few branches into thick heather, and gouged his third shot a few yards forward into a bunker.
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But he played a superb fourth shot to hit the green – and then holed a fifty footer to limit the damage to one shot, before breaking into a huge grin.
It was like matchplay as Rahm and Willett traded blows, but the English ace gave himself a two shot cushion with a great birdie at 17.
And after rolling his first putt to within a couple of inches at the last, he had plenty of time to savour the moment.