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Wentworth

McIlroy and Lowry in contention at BMW PGA Championship

Play in Wentworth resumed on Saturday.

RORY MCILROY AND Shane Lowry remain in the mix heading into the final round of the BMW PGA Championship at Wentworth.

McIlroy finished with a round 65 to climb to 11-under, one stroke off the lead. Meanwhile, Lowry hit a 68 to reach 10-under and tie sixth. 

McIlroy began his second round eight shots off the lead shared by Soren Kjeldsen and Viktor Hovland, but gradually made up ground with an eagle on the fourth and a birdie on the eighth taking him out in 32.

Birdies on the 11th and 12th were followed by four straight pars before McIlroy pulled his drive on the 17th into the trees and towards the out of bounds, only for his ball to emerge a few seconds later on the edge of the fairway.

McIlroy went on to make birdie and admitted: “It was like a seven, nett four. I told Harry (Diamond, his caddie) I won’t be complaining about my luck until at least next year. It was very lucky.”

Another birdie on the 18th saw McIlroy match his lowest ever score at Wentworth, a 65 leaving him one off the pace alongside Thomas Detry and Rafa Cabrera Bello.

Lowry completed another bogey-free round, finishing with back-to-back birdies and coming within inches of an eagle on the 18th. 

Hovland, who added a 68 to his opening 64, won his second DP World Tour title in Dubai in January and would love to claim another of the circuit’s biggest events, especially with Ryder Cup qualifying starting this week.

“I played here in 2019 shortly after I turned pro and I was kind of a little wowed about the experience,” the world number 10 said.

“I’d watched a lot of European Tour events, but it was a little bit different showing up here the first time with so many people and just seeing the golf course for the first time after seeing it a little bit on TV.

“It was a cool experience that first time and I didn’t play as well as I would have liked last year, but I’ve got a chance to win tomorrow. That would be awesome.”

Kjeldsen had set the early target thanks to a superb 64, the 47-year-old Dane dropping a shot on the first but responding with an eagle and seven birdies.

-Additional reporting Press Association 

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