McIlroy's Late Eagle Keeps Him in Contention
Rory McIlroy closed his third round at the BMW PGA Championship with an eagle on the par-five 18th, signing for a three-under 69 that left him at 11 under and two shots off the lead. The Northern Irishman, ranked second in the world, made a three on the final hole at Wentworth to stay within striking distance. He is trying to win the tournament for the second time in his career and to equal the record of eight Race to Dubai titles.[S1]
McIlroy said the windy conditions over the past two days had prevented anyone from pulling away from the field. He added that he would probably avoid looking at leaderboards on the front nine and would play more aggressively on the back nine if needed.[S1]
Elvira and Celli Share the Lead After Birdies on 18
Manuel Elvira of Spain and Filippo Celli of Italy both birdied the final hole to reach 13 under and share the lead going into the last round. Celli, 26, carded a third-round 69 and said he was very happy because the day was very tough, with windy conditions making it hard to handle. He noted that the wind shifted at times and that he stayed patient on the front nine knowing he could create more birdie chances on the back nine.[S1][S2]
Elvira posted a four-under 68 and said after his round that he feels ready to claim his first DP World Tour title. Celli benefited from a fortunate break on his final hole when his approach shot hit a wooden bulkhead lining a stream, avoided the water and ended in a greenside bunker, from where he made birdie.[S2]
Crowded Leaderboard Sets Up an Open Final Round
Alejandro Del Rey of Spain, Johannes Veerman of the United States and JJ Spaun of the United States are one shot behind the leaders at 12 under. Del Rey and Veerman each shot eight-under 64 to surge up the leaderboard. In total, 20 players will begin the final round within four shots of the lead, including McIlroy, Adam Scott, Joaquin Niemann, Davis Bryant and Kristoffer Reitan, who are tied for sixth at 11 under.[S1][S2][S3]
Robert MacIntyre moved to 10 under with a bogey-free back nine of five under, joining Ludvig Åberg, Ryan Fox, Matt Wallace and Sam Bairstow in a tie for 11th. Adam Scott, who also finished two shots off the lead, described his round as a grind and said it was hard to find a rhythm or a number he could attack. Aaron Rai, a first-round co-leader, ended the day at nine under.[S2][S3]
Final Round Tee Times and What to Watch
The final round begins at 7am BST. Kota Kaneko and Junghwan Lee are first off, followed by Francesco Molinari and Martin Couvra at 7:10, Marcus Kinhult and Joe Dean at 7:20, and Frederic Lacroix and Alex Smalley at 7:30. The leaders will tee off later in the day.[S3][S4]
Jon Rahm missed the cut after a career-low round, and Race to Dubai leader Patrick Reed withdrew, leaving McIlroy, Scott, Niemann and defending champion Alex Noren among those chasing the title. Noren sits at nine under, while Niemann is at 11 under.[S3][S4]
