Simon

Khan

Unfazed by losing on the fourth hole in Sunday’s playoff at the BMW PGA Championship, the Englishman secured one of 12 tee times reserved for next month’s 156-man field at Merion. Khan opened on the Old Course before taking on the New Course today. Paul Casey (6-under 74-64=138) and Jaco Van Zyl (71-67=138) shared runner-up honors. Morten Ørum Madsen finished along in fourth at 5-under 139. Marcus Fraser, Peter Hedblom and Eddie Pepperell tied for fifth at 4-under 140. The final five berths were decided in a playoff among six golfers that finished regulation at 3-under 141n. David Howell, José Maria Olazábal and John Parry advanced after one extra hole. The final two slots went to Tano Goya and Chris Doak after three more holes. Rikard Karlberg was the odd man out, so he’ll serve as first alternate. The final sectionals will be held at 11 sites in the U.S. on Monday, June 3.

Khan was in the clubhouse (6-under-par 278) when Donald all but handed his fellow countryman the title. Also 6-under with two to play, Donald drove deep into the trees right of the 17th fairway, and eventually swallowed a double-bogey 7. He nearly holed his approach at the par-5 18th to force a playoff, as his ball hit within two feet before retreating. Donald sunk the birdie putt, but Khan’s second European Tour title was already clinched. The 37-year-old Brit had four top 25s in six previous starts in the event, including a runner-up finish in 2006, proving that he’s comfy at Wentworth. Khan earns an exemption into the British Open this July, but more importantly, he’s now fully exempt on the Euro Tour through 2015.

Few golfers have been more inspired by the West Course than the Englishman who has fond boyhood memories of walking the fairways, screaming for spare balls and asking for autographs at this event. Injuries have wrecked the last two years for him, even disrupting the Wentworth magic as he’s missed his last two cuts. Has to be respected in some senses, however, given that he was the winner in 2010, second in 2006 and 2013 and has another 4 top 30 finishes in 12 starts. On the other hand in 27 appearances since finishing T14 in the Irish Open last June he has made just five weekends and not breached the top 20 once.

There’s no doubt that the Englishman loves Wentworth and he proved it yet again last week when book-ending his BMW PGA Championship with a pair of 69s that earned him T15. (It‘s interesting to note that exactly 33% of Khan career earnings have been reaped at Wentworth.) That said, it was only his second top 20 finish since the Scottish Open of 2013. He’s 4-for-8 on the European Tour in Sweden, with a best of T7 in 2004, but the harsh truth is that he’s not finished top 50 in his last 5 starts there and missed the cut in 2013 at this track. He went 75-71 at Walton Heath in missing U.S. Open qualification on Monday.

After injuries in 2014 and 2015, the Englishman is playing on a medical exemption this year and there were concerns when he pulled out of last week’s Made in Denmark. However, Khan bounced back with rounds of 70-68-70-69 to post T41 in the Omega European Masters on Sunday so all seems good again. This week’s event takes place at The Dutch, a new course which is short in length and predicted to reward those who keep it in play. That could be good news for Khan who is 42nd in Driving Accuracy. He’d also managed just a single top 30 in 10 previous starts at the KLM (T12 in 2007) so a fresh track to go at is surely no bad thing.

At first glance the Englishman wouldn’t seem worthy of closer consideration. He’s 140th on the Race to Dubai, has just one top ten finish in his last 50 starts (T10 at the recent KLM Open) and is injury prone. However he did once make the top five in this event (back in 2005) and of much bigger interest is his ability to peak at nearby Wentworth, where he has amassed 33% of his career earnings. Okay, it’s a different venue to this week but one of the key factors in his success there is the crowds of family and friends he draws and The Grove is even closer to his Essex base. He didn’t play here in the 2006 WGC event, but it’s a strong bet that has played the course more often than most (the answer to the next question – does he like it? – is less easy to guess at). His

Khan’s circuit left him four behind the leader Felipe Aguilar, but will be of most interest to himself because it hints at some hope as the season pushes on - and he needs it after a year of disruption. He ended 2016 on a high with T12 in the Portugal Masters, but has made only five starts in 2017 with a best of T28 in the World Super 6 Perth. The lack of even one blue number will also be seen as a good sign, whilst he began both nines with a birdie (at, first, 10, then 1), with the back nine having the extra circle on 13.

The Englishman is best known for his superb record at Wentworth but Le Golf National is vying for second place on his list of favorite venues. Khan was third there in 2007, T5 in 2011 and also cracked the top 20 in 2006 and 2013. The 43-year-old had fallen to 939 in the world rankings before jumping 88 spots with a T22 in the Lyoness Open on his last start and he built on that return to form with a lap that featured birdies at 4, 8, 10 and 14 and bogeys at 5 and 13. He was inaccurate off the tee today, splitting just 6 (of 14) fairways, but managed to hit 15 greens in regulation.

The Englishman, who lives nearby and attended the Wentworth event as a boy, won the tournament in 2010 and finished runner-up in both 2006 and 2013. To give that context, he was ranked 471st in the world when he took victory and 362nd when losing a playoff in 2013. Can he defy the odds again in 2015? You never know but the 42-year-old hasn’t played since February and is still troubled by injury. In a tweet dated May 14, he wrote, “Managed 9 holes then knee went on 10th tee, hit a foot behind it. Tried to play back 9 but no good. Hope to be fit for PGA.” A title challenge this year would surely be even more remarkable.

The Englishman has a patchy record with four missed cuts and a WD and hasn’t bettered a T28 in 2006. He closed that week with a 68, his low round at the course which he matched in the opening round in both 2012 and 2013. The former winner of the BMW PGA Championship at Wentworth comes in off a T66 in Abu Dhabi and a missed cut in Qatar.