Rory McIlroy remains in contention at the BMW PGA Championship after a five-under 67 left him four strokes off the lead heading into the weekend at Wentworth. The Northern Irishman made three birdies in his opening five holes and recovered from dropped shots on the eighth and 16th by picking up four strokes on the back nine, including birdies on the 17th and 18th.
The reigning Masters champion’s hopes of winning a record-equalling eighth Race to Dubai title were lifted by the withdrawal of Patrick Reed after nine holes. Reed, who currently leads the standings on the DP World Tour, had been well placed after the first round but was forced to retire through injury while nine-over par for Friday’s round.
McIlroy’s Round
McIlroy’s 67 was steady rather than spectacular. He started fast with three birdies in his first five holes, then stumbled with dropped shots on the eighth and 16th. But he found form on the back nine, picking up four strokes and finishing with birdies on the 17th and 18th to close the gap.
He sits at eight under overall, four behind the leader. That is a solid position, especially given the strength of the field around him.
Reed’s Withdrawal
Reed’s departure changes the shape of the Race to Dubai title fight. The American had been leading the standings on the DP World Tour, and his absence after nine holes means he has withdrawn from this event.
That gives McIlroy an opportunity to claw back ground. McIlroy said as much himself.
“Unfortunately he’s pulled out this week, which gives me an opportunity to try to claw back some ground that I lost last week in Ireland,” said McIlroy.
“This weekend is a big weekend for me to pick up a few points and make the race even tighter going into these last few weeks. I’m in a great spot heading into the weekend.”
Gerard Leads
Ryan Gerard took the clubhouse lead with a flawless round of 65. He made five birdies and an eagle without dropping a stroke, leaving him two shots clear of Australia’s Adam Scott and Italian Filippo Celli, who are at 10 under.
Aaron Rai, the US PGA Championship winner, also enjoyed a strong finish. He signed for a 69 and enjoyed a birdie-birdie finish, ending at nine under alongside Spain’s Manuel Elvira. McIlroy and Ryan Fox are a further shot back in a quintet of players tied at eight under.
Big Names Miss the Cut
Not everyone made the weekend. Five-time major champion Brooks Koepka was among the big names to miss the cut at one over.
Tommy Fleetwood, the Englishman, will also miss the weekend after a 74 left him at three over. Jon Rahm endured another day to forget, following up a six-over-par 78 on Thursday with a 77 to end 138th and last of all those to finish on Friday.
The Field Around McIlroy
The leaderboard is crowded and competitive. Here is how the top of the board looks:
- Ryan Gerard — 12 under
- Adam Scott (Aus) — 10 under
- Filippo Celli (Ita) — 10 under
- Aaron Rai — 9 under
- Manuel Elvira (Spa) — 9 under
- Rory McIlroy (NI) — 8 under
- Ryan Fox (NZ) — 8 under
- Richard Fox (Eng) — 8 under
- Joel Spaun (US) — 8 under
- Matt Wallace (Eng) — 7 under
- Sebastien Straka (Aut) — 7 under
- Alex Noren (Swe) — 7 under
- Lucas Aberg (Swe) — 6 under
- Viktor Hovland (Nor) — 6 under
- David Law (Sco) — 5 under
- Richie MacIntyre (Sco) — 5 under
- Shane Lowry (Ire) — 5 under
- Matt Fitzpatrick (Eng) — 5 under
- James Rose (Eng) — 4 under
What the Weekend Holds
McIlroy’s position is strong, but so is the field around him. Gerard will start as favourite, but Rai, Elvira, McIlroy and Fox are all within a shot of the lead.
The Race to Dubai title is still very much alive. With Reed out of the picture, the remaining contenders are fighting for a place at the top of the standings.
For McIlroy, this weekend is a chance to reset. He has played well enough to stay in the mix, and the withdrawal of Reed has tightened the competition.
The Key Matchups
The most interesting matchups will come from the players tied at eight under. McIlroy and Fox have played together in a marquee group this week.
Rai, meanwhile, has been in form since his US PGA Championship win.
The Bottom Line
McIlroy is in a great spot heading into the weekend. He has played well, kept his composure, and benefited from Reed’s withdrawal.
The leaderboard is tight, and anything can happen over the final two rounds. The Race to Dubai title remains open, and this weekend could settle it.
For now, McIlroy controls his own destiny. He has shown he can play at this level.
Source material: “McIlroy in mix heading into weekend at Wentworth,” the BBC.
Get the Notebook.
The day's best stories and every fresh verdict, in plain English, in your inbox by seven. One email a day, no more.