Lee Westwood, others secure spot on Europe Ryder Cup team at final qualifier

On a dramatic day of twists and turns in the final qualifying event for Ryder Cup berths, Lee Westwood, Bernd Wiesberger, Matt Fitzpatrick and Tyrrell Hatton were able to celebrate getting the final automatic qualifying places in the European team. Westwood made it for an 11th time, Wiesberger for the first.

The race for the final spots was predictably frantic considering so many points were on offer at Wentworth.

Westwood's place was under threat the entire week but his round of 77 at the BMW PGA Championship didn't stop the 48-year-old Englishman claiming the final spot on the world points list. He was helped by Lowry, a big qualifying rival, only shooting 71 to finish in a tie for 17th.

Lowry and Rose, who shot 65 for a tie for sixth, appear to be competing for the last of Harrington's picks. Harrington said before the first round at Wentworth that Sergio Garcia and Ian Poulter were in line to be two of the picks.

Bernd Wiesberger, who shot 72, will make his Ryder Cup debut at Whistling Straits this month after qualifying via the European points list, along with Hatton. That bumped Rory McIlroy into the five qualifying spots on offer from the world points list.

Jon Rahm, McIlroy, Tommy Fleetwood, Viktor Hovland and Paul Casey had already secured automatic spots in the team before the event.

Billy Horschel felt aggrieved this week at the manner in which he missed out on a place in the U.S. team for the Ryder Cup.

Answering Ryder Cup snub

So he took down a bunch of leading Europeans by himself.

Horschel birdied Wentworth's storied 18th hole after an approach shot that spun back to inside two feet, securing a closing 7-under 65 and a one-shot victory on Sunday.

He became only the second American to win what is traditionally regarded as the biggest event on the European Tour, after Arnold Palmer in 1975.

Not a bad way to get over the disappointment of being overlooked for a captain's pick for the Ryder Cup team. And Horschel had a message for U.S. captain Steve Stricker.

"It sucks not making the team," Horschel said. "I didn't play consistent enough, and well enough, after I won the Match Play to warrant a pick or to get enough points to get an automatic selection.

"I was a little gutted I didn't get a call this week. I didn't think the call was going to say I made the team but I was a little gutted I didn't get a call to say, 'Hey, you know, you didn't make the team.' In my mind, I thought I would at least get that, so there was a little more added motivation after that."

Laurie Canter, a 170th-ranked Englishman playing in the final group, needed an eagle on the par-5 last hole to win or a birdie to force a playoff, but had to lay up after driving into the rough. His third shot settled within about 15 feet and his birdie putt never had a chance, missing to the right.

Canter signed for a 67, tying him for second place.

It was the first time Horschel won a regular event on the European Tour and it will go a long way toward clinching him the season-long Race to Dubai, with Horschel having already won the equivalent on the PGA Tour — the FedEx Cup — in 2014.