Steve Palmer's BMW PGA Championship preview: European Ryder Cup trio to flourish at Wentworth

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Steve has nailed 12 outright winners this year at 66-1, 60-1, 40-1 (three times), 33-1, 22-1, 20-1 (twice), 9-1, 8-1 and 11-4. Read on to find out his fancies for this week's tournament.

BMW PGA Championship date, start time & TV info 

Date Thursday, September 11 to Sunday, September 14
Course West Course, Wentworth, Virginia Water, Surrey
Start time 6.40am
TV Sky Sports Golf and Main Event from 8.30am Thursday

Rory McIlroy is centre of attention again this week, looking for back-to-back DP World Tour triumphs after his Irish Open victory on Sunday, and the world number two has an obvious chance.

McIlroy, who moved to the Wentworth Estate in the summer, won the BMW PGA Championship in 2014 and deserves clear favouritism. Massive crowds and an unsettled weather forecast could derail the market leader, though, and it is debatable whether any of the top three in the betting represent any value at short odds.

Jon Rahm has not won a title as an individual this year, while Tommy Fleetwood has been out of action since an emotional Tour Championship victory at the end of last month. Value hunters can draw a line through the front three.

Steve Palmer's BMW PGA Championship predictions

Shane Lowry
3pts each-way 25-1 Betfair, Hills, Paddy Power

Ludvig Aberg
3pts each-way 18-1 Betfair, Paddy Power

Justin Rose
2pts each-way 45-1 Betfair, Paddy Power

Thomas Detry
1pt each-way 100-1 Betfair, Paddy Power

Steve Palmer's BMW PGA Championship preview

Top tip

Shane Lowry 25-1

The swing of Shane Lowry looks in mint condition with a Ryder Cup approaching. The burly Irishman put a new driver in his bag at the K Club last week and hit it great, churning out greens in regulation, finishing 15th because of an ice-cold putter.

Lowry was luckless on the K Club greens but has arrived this week at a set of dancefloors on which he has flourished in the past. His Wentworth record is absolutely magnificent and a second BMW PGA title could be coming on Sunday.

Lowry triumphed at Wentworth in 2022, repelling McIlroy and Rahm, underlining his comfort at the iconic Surrey venue. Prior to that victory three years ago, Lowry was fourth in the 2011 PGA, 12th in 2013, second in 2014, beaten by a shot, sixth in 2015, sixth in 2017, then had four more Wentworth top-20s before his win.

Two more top-20s have come since the 2022 success, so Lowry is on a streak of eight consecutive top-20s at Wentworth, boasting 12 in total in his 15 PGA appearances. And the 38-year-old is coming to the boil nicely for this visit, improving through every leg of the FedEx Cup playoffs.

While others may be getting nervous about an impending Ryder Cup, Lowry, the heartbeat of the European locker room, appears happy and relaxed, relishing the opportunity to be a key figure for Europe again. He can follow his pal McIlroy into the DP World Tour winner's enclosure.

Next best

Ludvig Aberg 18-1

The imperious driving of Ludvig Aberg makes him a Wentworth natural – and the Swedish sensation fell in love with the track on his debut two years ago, opening with rounds of 68, 66, 66 to go two shots clear.

Aberg dropped from first to tenth in the final round, but it was easy to forgive the wobble given that he was teeing up in only his fourth DPWT tournament as a professional. Defending a lead in the Tour's flagship event proved too tough a task, but his affection for the layout was obvious.

Aberg could not play in last year's BMW – he had just had knee surgery – but his form figures from his last five starts in regulation DPWT events are 4-1-10-4-8. He was 23rd in the Open in July, then had results of 9-7-21 in the FedEx Cup playoffs.

This is very much a home tournament for Justin Rose Credit: PGA TOUR

Other selections

Justin Rose 45-1
Thomas Detry 100-1

Three members of the European Ryder Cup side can contend for the title on Sunday. The A-game of Justin Rose is still good enough to claim the highest honours in golf. He was second in the Open last year and a playoff loser in the Masters in April, before winning a FedEx Cup playoffs event in Memphis last month.

The 45-year-old has seen it all before, but retains his drive and hunger for glory, and winning the PGA at Wentworth has been on his bucket list for more than two decades. The moment may have arrived.

Rose made his PGA debut in 2001, was runner-up in 2007, runner-up again in 2012, then sixth in 2021. After turning 40, he moved his family back to England, living on the Wentworth Estate and practising regularly at the West Course. Thoroughly prepared – and impressive from the Scottish Open onwards – Rose looks fantastic each-way value.

Complete your staking plan with Thomas Detry, who won his maiden PGA Tour title in fine style with a seven-shot victory in the Phoenix Open in February. The Belgian has been competing against top-class fields on the PGA Tour ever since, but he finally dropped a grade last week, finishing 12th in the Irish Open despite opening with a rusty 73.

Detry, 23rd in the US Open in June and 45th in the Open in July, should be much respected in DPWT company. He was fifth in the 2022 BMW PGA and looks a lively outsider after finding his A-game at the K Club.

Key stat for the BMW PGA Championship

♦ Seven of the last 16 BMW PGAs have been won by an Englishman

Read more golf news:

BMW PGA Championship 2025: The Wentworth Golf Club course guide, start time and how to watch 

Steve Palmer's Procore Championship preview: Justin Thomas can head to Ryder Cup with a spring in his step 

Procore Championship 2025: The Silverado Resort and Spa course guide, start time and how to watch 

For those looking for even more extensive golf coverage don't miss Palmer's extra pointers every Wednesday in the Racing Post newspaper.

As well as his tips and insight you will also get expert spotlight comments for all players in our extensive PGA Tour and DP Tour price comparison grids which include course and recent form, plus Palmer's unique attribute icons to help identify the type of players likely to be suited to conditions each week.

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