Golden lining for McIlroy at Wentworth
Rory McIlroy moved past the million euro mark and leapt to third in the Race to Dubai standings despite a disappointing final round performance in the BMW PGA Championship at Wentworth.
England's Paul Casey captured the title when he holed a curling, left to right, five footer on the final green to edge out compatriot Ross Fisher by a shot and a move from seventh to third in the world rankings.
He also moved to the top of the Race to Dubai standings ahead of Geoff Ogilvy and McIlroy, whose closing 71 left him seven shots adrift in fifth place on 10 under par.
Rory McIlroy and his caddie at WentworthMcIlroy had the consolation of a cheque for €190,800 that took his season's earnings on the European Tour to €1,141,334.
Just two behind Casey with nine to play, a bogey four at the 10th, where his attempt escape from greenside sand became entangled in the bunker's wiry fringe, signalled the beginning of the end for McIlroy.
Clearly struggling to control his swing, he went on to drop shots at the 13th and 16th before finishing with a brace of birdies for the third time in four days.
Looking on the bright side, he said: "It's been a great week for me - another top-five has put me back on track and I'm really looking forward to the European Open as I feel I've got the game to go and win there. Hopefully, this is a good building block for the rest of the season."
McIlroy played in the penultimate group with eventual runner up Fisher, whose eagle putt on the last burned the right edge of the cup as he finished with a sensational, eight-birdie 64 to set the clubhouse target on 16 under par.
The Englishman birdied the fourth, sixth, seventh and ninth to turn in 31 and close a five stroke overnight deficit on the leader to just a stroke.
As a cagey Casey went to the turn in level par 35 with bogeys at the first and eighth erasing birdies at the third and fourth, Fisher birdied the 10th to tie for the lead and then birdied the 12th to move one clear on 13 under.
Casey levelled matters with a birdie at the par-five 12th and picked up another shot at the 15th to go one ahead again before Fisher finished birdie-birdie to set the target at 16 under.
Winner of The Abu Dhabi Golf Championship and the Shell Houston Open already this season and a runner up to Geoff Ogilvy in the Accenture Match Play in Tucson, Casey birdied the 17th to draw level again before getting up and down from sand at the last for the biggest victory of his career.
Graeme McDowell was tied 13th on five under par after a closing 69 with Darren Clarke tied 52nd on two over after a final round 71.