WILTSHIRE'S Laurie Canter finished in a tie for second at the 2021 BMW PGA Championship at Wentworth on Sunday.

The Cumberwell Park man enjoyed a wonderful four days at the flagship European Tour event in Surrey, but fell just short in his pursuit of a maiden top-tier title.

Canter was unable to find a birdie on the last two holes of Sunday's action to force a play-off, with the 31-year-old thinning a chip from just short of the green on the 17th and narrowly missing from 15 feet on the 18th.

“I’m working so hard on my chipping and I have been for a while,” Canter said.

“I was trying to play the right shot, hopefully stiff it and win the tournament, but just executed poorly.

“At the moment, I am disappointed. Probably more disappointed than I imagined to come second. But yeah, at this point in time, I just feel like I would love to have the opportunity to win a huge event.”

Popular American golfer Billy Horschel won the event, with the avid West Ham United fan admitting he had been fired up by missing out on a Ryder Cup wild card pick.

Horschel carded seven birdies, including a decisive one from two feet on the 18th, in a flawless closing 65 at Wentworth to finish 19 under par, a shot ahead of Canter, Jamie Donaldson and Kiradech Aphibarnrat.

The late Arnold Palmer is the only other American to have tasted victory in the European Tour’s flagship event, the seven-time major winner claiming the title at Royal St George’s in 1975.

“Add my name to Arnold Palmer, that’s legendary stuff,” Horschel said. “If it wasn’t for him, we wouldn’t have this modern era of golf to play in front of thousands of fans and big sponsors.

“Tiger Woods took it to another level but Arnie is the one who started it. So to have my name on that trophy is pretty special. To win this event means a lot.

“In my mind, it’s equivalent to The Players Championship. We have a great event on the PGA Tour (at Sawgrass) and I live there and would love to lift that one, but I have this one under my belt and I’m very happy.”

Horschel also won the WGC-Dell Technologies Match Play in March but was overlooked for a Ryder Cup wild card on Wednesday and did not even receive a call to say he had been considered by US captain Steve Stricker.

“It sucks not making the team,” Horschel added. “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 be an automatic selection.

“I was a little gutted I didn’t get a call this week. Didn’t think it was going to be a phone call that said I made the team. But it was a phone call saying, hey, you had a great year, obviously we talked, but we’re going to go in a different direction.

“I was a little ticked. Gave me a little bit of fire in my butt. There was a little more added motivation this week for that.”

Horschel could yet receive a late call-up for the contest after Brooks Koepka had to withdraw from the Tour Championship last week through injury, and is not harbouring any grudges.

“If somehow a phone call comes my way that says Brooks had to withdraw and I got picked, I’d be over the moon,” added the West Ham fan, who revealed he would be celebrating his win by having dinner with Hammers midfielders Mark Noble and Declan Rice.

“I’d be up there faster than the speed of sound to get there.”