Ryan Gerard vaulted past Adam Scott and Filippo Celli to claim a two‑stroke advantage at the midway point of the BMW PGA Championship, while Rory McIlroy delivered a solid performance on day two, finishing four shots behind the leader. Scott and Celli had been sharing the clubhouse lead after the first half of the second round, both sitting at ten under par. In the afternoon session Gerard produced a flawless, bogey‑free round of 65, which moved him to seven under for the day and a total of twelve under for the tournament, propelling him into the sole lead.
Aaron Rai, who had been co‑leader heading into Friday's round, ended up tied with Manuel Elvira for fourth place at nine under. His playing partners, McIlroy and Ryan Fox, each fell one shot behind, joining a group of five other competitors in a shared sixth‑place position.
A number of high‑profile players missed the cut on Friday at Wentworth. European Ryder Cup stalwarts Jon Rahm and Tommy Fleetwood both struggled, carding three over par for the day and failing to advance. Spanish veteran Sergio García endured a disastrous two days, posting an 11‑over‑par total after 36 holes – the worst 36‑hole score of his career and leaving him at the bottom of the leaderboard. Tyrrell Hatton and Matt Fitzpatrick both flirted with the cut line on Friday but produced dramatic finishes.
Hatton chipped in from a greenside bunker on the 18th to secure an eagle, while Fitzpatrick lofted a wedge over a water hazard on the final hole to claim a birdie, both ending the round at four under. Race to Dubai leader Patrick Reed was forced to withdraw after injuring himself on the tenth tee shot. Reed had also endured a rough start on the front nine, going eight over par through the first nine holes.
Windy conditions at Wentworth made it difficult for Gerard to keep his driver on the fairway, but his iron play was exceptional. He nailed a long iron to the green on the fourth hole, setting up a birdie, and repeated the feat on the eighth. Back‑to‑back birdies on holes 12 and 13 narrowed the gap to a single stroke behind Scott and Celli, and an eagle on the par‑five 17th – again from a long iron out of the rough – vaulted him ahead. Gerard said he stayed patient throughout the round, a strategy that paid dividends as he capped the day with a birdie on the 18th.
"I don't know if I was feeling an eagle, birdie finish, but I stayed patient all day," Gerard explained. "When you get to the last couple of holes at Wentworth they are gettable, but there’s also trouble lurking, so you have to be careful. Good things happen when you stick to the plan and execute shots." Scott returned to the course on Friday after a brilliant opening round of five under.
He struggled early, making one over par through his first four holes, but a quick putting adjustment on the fifth green helped him find his rhythm. The Australian then recorded four consecutive birdies from holes 14 through 17.
"Over the first couple of holes my rhythm was a little off," Scott said. "I made an adjustment on the fifth green and it went in, so I ran with that for the rest of the day. Sometimes you just have to find that one little thing, and I’m glad I made that adjustment early. It helps the rest of the game; when you feel like the putter is good, you free up the rest of the game." McIlroy, who admitted to "stumbling" toward the end of his first round, delivered a markedly improved performance on day two.
The reigning Masters champion started strongly, posting four under through the first five holes and thrilling the crowd with a chip‑in birdie on the par‑three second hole. A missed fairway on the eighth cost him, but he rebounded with birdies on 11 and 14.
An over‑hit approach on the 16th forced him to scramble, yet he finished the round emphatically with birdies on both 17 and 18. "I’m playing a bit better today than I did yesterday and hit a lot more fairways," McIlroy observed.
"Felt like I drove the ball better and gave myself a few more chances. I didn’t feel like I was scrambling my way around most of the day today. Solid round." The tournament continues to build excitement as fans wonder who will ultimately claim the BMW PGA Championship title.
Sky Sports Golf will broadcast early third‑round group coverage on Saturday from 9 am, with main coverage kicking off at noon. Viewers can also stream the event via NOW for a contract‑free experience.
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