The 2025 BMW PGA Championship at Wentworth has delivered no shortage of drama, surprises, and spirited debate about the future of professional golf. While the leaderboard is packed with elite talent and the home crowd roared for local hero Tommy Fleetwood, the tournament's halfway mark was defined as much by those who missed the cut as by those who survived it. Notably, five-time major champion Brooks Koepka, defending titleholder Billy Horschel, and European Ryder Cup contender Rasmus Hojgaard all found themselves on the wrong side of the cut line, stirring up questions about form, preparation, and the evolving nature of the game itself.
Brooks Koepka, a name synonymous with major championship grit, arrived at Wentworth hoping to reverse a troubling trend. Instead, he opened with a disastrous 75, fought back valiantly with a second-round 68, but still missed the halfway cut by a single shot. For Koepka, it was yet another frustrating chapter in what has become his worst season in over eight years. According to the official tournament records, "Koepka has played in six events with a halfway cut this year – including all four majors, plus the Irish Open and this week’s BMW PGA Championship. He has missed the cut in five of them, often by a significant margin." That statistic alone has set alarm bells ringing, not just for Koepka but for the broader LIV Golf contingent he now represents.
Defending champion Billy Horschel’s fate was equally agonizing. Horschel, who carded rounds of 73 and 70, saw his eagle putt on the 18th lip out, leaving him at -1 and just outside the weekend field. "The defending champ tried his best to make the number but his eagle putt on 18 agonisingly missed on the right side," tournament coverage noted. Horschel’s exit underscores just how tough the cut line was this year, with several big names finding themselves packing their bags far earlier than expected.
Rasmus Hojgaard, set to make his Ryder Cup debut at Bethpage later this month, also stumbled at Wentworth. He posted disappointing rounds of 74 and 75 to finish well down the board at +5. His twin brother, Nicolai, didn’t fare much better, ending his week at +6 after rounds of 78 and 72. For the Hojgaard family, it was a tournament to forget.
Not all the news was grim for English fans. Tommy Fleetwood, cheered on by a boisterous home crowd, delivered a clutch birdie on the par-5 18th hole to sneak in right on the cut number at 2-under par. The moment was electric, with Fleetwood’s eight-foot putt sparking huge cheers and keeping local hopes alive as the tournament moved into the weekend.
At the top of the leaderboard, Hideki Matsuyama has been the model of consistency and composure. The Japanese star sits at 12-under par, one shot clear of a trio of Ryder Cup-caliber pursuers: Viktor Hovland, Ludvig Aberg, and Justin Rose. With so much talent in close pursuit, Sunday at Wentworth promises fireworks for fans and players alike.
But this year’s BMW PGA Championship hasn’t just been about who made the cut. Owing to an unusually large number of players qualifying for the weekend, tournament organizers introduced a rare 54-hole cut. This additional trimming of the field after Saturday’s round claimed more notable names, including Ryder Cup star Bob MacIntyre, Alex Fitzpatrick, and Niklas Norgaard. MacIntyre, for instance, bogeyed the 15th and 18th holes in his third round to slip just outside the mark. Alex Fitzpatrick, meanwhile, couldn’t get much going in round three, bogeying three of his first seven holes and ultimately missing the final round. Norgaard, who played alongside Rory McIlroy and Shane Lowry in round three, suffered a brutal stretch of five bogeys in seven holes but salvaged some pride with two birdies and an eagle at the last.
While the on-course action has been gripping, the tournament also comes at a time of considerable soul-searching in the professional golf world. The ongoing impasse in the proposed LIV-PGA Tour merger has left many players and fans wondering what the future holds. LIV Golf, the Saudi-backed breakaway league, is facing mounting pressure to adapt if it hopes to retain and attract top-tier talent.
Jon Rahm, who finished the LIV Golf season as the individual champion but did not win a single event, has become a leading voice for change. Speaking candidly, Rahm has called for LIV Golf to shift from its current 54-hole format to the more traditional 72-hole setup used in major championships and on the DP World Tour. "LIV Golf is in need of some big changes if they want to stay competitive, and Rahm is at the centre of that conversation," as one report put it. Rahm’s argument is simple: a longer tournament format would better prepare players for the rigors of major championship golf and help them maintain their edge when stepping outside the LIV circuit.
Koepka’s struggles this season have only added fuel to Rahm’s case. Since joining LIV, Koepka has managed just two top-10 finishes in 2025 and has repeatedly faltered in 72-hole events. Some observers suggest that the shorter 54-hole format may be contributing to a sense of complacency among LIV players, making the transition to longer, cut-based tournaments more challenging. As the article notes, "There are questions around whether this shorter setup is leading to complacency among some players. In theory, fewer rounds should make it easier to win on LIV than elsewhere."
With several top players, including Koepka, nearing the end of their contracts, and with only Bryson DeChambeau consistently contending in majors since joining LIV, the league faces a decisive crossroads. The proposed format change could not only help with world ranking points but also ensure that LIV’s stars remain competitive on golf’s biggest stages.
Meanwhile, the action at Wentworth continues to captivate. Hideki Matsuyama’s lead is far from secure, with Hovland, Aberg, and Rose all within striking distance. Fleetwood’s late heroics have given the home crowd plenty to cheer for, and with the 54-hole cut now behind them, the remaining field is set for a thrilling conclusion.
As the BMW PGA Championship heads into its final round, the focus remains squarely on the course—but the reverberations of this week’s surprises and debates will be felt throughout the golf world. Whether it’s the fate of LIV Golf’s format, the struggles of its marquee names, or the rise of new contenders at Wentworth, one thing is certain: professional golf is in the midst of a fascinating evolution, and fans everywhere are watching every twist and turn.
