BMW PGA Championship: Rose in wings should McIlroy’s form dip

The cupboard is bare where fresh superlatives for Rory McIlroy are concerned, but in stark contrast the world number one’s trophy cabinet is getting chocked full as he heads back to defend some silver he won 12 months ago.

Fresh from a historic win at the Wells Fargo Championship in America, McIlroy will defend his 2014 BMW PGA Championship crown at Wentworth, England, back on the European Tour and in this kind of nick its nigh-on impossible to back against the 5/2 favourite.

McIlroy is approaching the summer corridor of Majors in startling form, claiming his second PGA Tour victory in three starts thanks to a tournament-record score of 267 ahead of this one, containing a majestic round of 61 along the way.

All facets of his game harmonised to devastating effect Stateside, where he led the field in driving distance, was second in driving accuracy, tied fourth in strokes gained putting and was level ninth on greens hit in regulation.

Simply put, if he continues with his A-game then McIlroy will reclaim his BMW title. However, even the greats are prone to off-days and even two in a row on occasion.

As we’ve witnessed in the past McIlroy is no exception, and should the trip across the pond upset his swinging rhythm, an Englishman who is also capable of the sublime is well priced to take advantage.

Justin Rose is on his own ahead of a cluster of players at 25s, at 8/1, and for good reasoning too.

There aren’t many, if any, top players in the field as familiar with Wentworth’s demands as the world number six who spent a lot of time at the course as a youngster.

Teeing it up for the 13th time in Surrey, Rose was runner-up in 2007 and 2012 and Europe’s Ryder Cup star of 2014 is also showing signs of peaking ahead of the US Open.

Rose’s 22-under-par victory at the Zurich Classic at the back end of April shows he’s in the mood to add to his seven European Tour titles…McIlroy permitting.

All Odds and Markets are correct as of the date of publishing.

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