BMW PGA Championship - circular two
-12 R Gerard (US); -10 A Scott (Aus), F Celli (Ita); -9 M Elvira (Spa), A Rai (Eng)
Selected others: -8 R Fox (NZ), R Fisher (Eng), R McIlroy (NI), I Elvira (Spa), JJ Spaun (US); -7 M Wallace (Eng); -6 S Straka (Aut), A Noren (Swe); -5 L Aberg (Swe), V Hovland (Nor); -4 D Law (Sco), R MacIntyre (Sco), S Lowry (Ire), M Fitzpatrick (Eng); -3 J Rose (Eng)
Rory McIlroy stayed successful contention with a five-under 67 to beryllium 4 strokes down second-round person Ryan Gerard astatine the BMW PGA Championship astatine Wentworth.
The Northern Irishman made 3 birdies successful his opening 5 holes and recovered from dropped shots connected the eighth and 16th by picking up 4 strokes connected the backmost nine, including birdies connected the 17th and 18th holes.
Reigning Masters champion McIlroy's hopes of winning a record-equalling eighth Race to Dubai rubric were besides buoyed by the withdrawal of Patrick Reed aft 9 holes.
The American, who presently leads the standings connected the DP World Tour, had been good placed aft the archetypal circular but was forced to discontinue done wounded portion nine-over par for Friday's round.
"Unfortunately he's pulled retired this week, which gives maine an accidental to effort to claw backmost immoderate crushed that I mislaid past week successful Ireland," said McIlroy, who is astatine 8 nether overall.
"This play is simply a large play for maine to prime up a fewer points and marque the contention adjacent tighter going into these past fewer weeks. I'm successful a large spot heading into the weekend."
Gerard made 5 birdies and an eagle successful a flawless circular of 65 to permission him 2 shots wide of Australia's Adam Scott and Italian Filippo Celli, who are astatine 10 under.
US PGA Championship victor Aaron Rai, who played alongside McIlroy and Open champion Ryan Fox successful a marquee group, besides enjoyed a birdie-birdie decorativeness arsenic helium signed for a 69.
The Englishman, who had shared the pb overnight, was astatine 9 nether alongside Spain's Manuel Elvira, with McIlroy and Fox among a quintet of players a further changeable back.
Five-time large champion Brooks Koepka was among the large names to miss the chopped astatine 1 over.
Englishman Tommy Fleetwood volition besides miss the play aft a 74 near him astatine 3 over, portion Spain's Jon Rahm endured different time to forget, pursuing up a six-over-par 78 connected Thursday with a 77 to extremity 138th and past of each those to decorativeness connected Friday.
English (US)·