Ryan Gerard vaulted past Adam Scott and Filippo Celli to claim a two‑shot advantage at the midway point of the BMW PGA Championship, while Rory McIlroy delivered a solid performance on day two, finishing four strokes behind the leader. Scott and Celli had been sharing the clubhouse lead after the morning round, both sitting at 10 under par.
Gerard, however, turned the tide in the afternoon session, carding a flawless, bogey‑free 65 – seven under for the round – which lifted him to 12 under overall. 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, trailed by a single shot, sharing sixth place with a group of five other competitors. A number of high‑profile players missed the cut on Friday at Wentworth.
European Ryder Cup stalwarts Jon Rahm and Tommy Fleetwood both fell short, carding three over par for the day. The Spanish veteran endured a disastrous two days, posting an 11‑over‑par total through 36 holes – the worst 36‑hole score of his career – and found himself at the bottom of the leaderboard.
Tyrrell Hatton and Matt Fitzpatrick flirted with the cut line on Friday but rescued their rounds with spectacular finishes. Both players chipped in on the 18th hole to finish at four under par. Hatton holed an eagle‑making chip from a greenside bunker, while Fitzpatrick lofted a wedge over a stream on the final hole to secure a birdie.
Race to Dubai leader Patrick Reed was forced to withdraw after injuring himself on the tenth tee shot. The American had also struggled on the front nine, falling 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 approach game was exceptional. He struck a long iron perfectly onto the green on the fourth hole, setting up a birdie, and repeated the feat on the eighth. Consecutive birdies on holes 12 and 13 brought him within a shot of Scott and Celli, and an eagle on the par‑five 17th – again thanks to a precise long‑iron from the rough – vaulted him ahead.
The 27‑year‑old said he remained patient throughout the day, a strategy that paid dividends as he wrapped up his round with a birdie on the 18th. "I wasn't sure if I was going to finish with an eagle or a birdie, but I kept my composure all day," Gerard explained. "When you get to the final holes at Wentworth they’re reachable, but there’s also danger, so you have to stay disciplined. Good things happen when you stick to the plan and execute your shots." Scott returned to Wentworth on Friday after an impressive opening round of five under.
He struggled early, making one over through his first four holes, but a quick adjustment on his fifth‑hole putt helped him find his rhythm. From there he surged, recording four straight birdies from holes 14 through 17. "My rhythm was a little off at the start," the Australian admitted.
"I tweaked my putter on the fifth green and it clicked, so I rode that momentum for the rest of the day. Sometimes you just need to find that tiny tweak, and when the putter feels right, the rest of the game falls into place." McIlroy, who had described his first round as a "stumble," turned things around dramatically. The reigning Masters champion opened with four under through five holes and ignited the crowd on the par‑three second when he chipped in from off the green for a birdie. A missed fairway on the eighth hole cost him, but he rebounded with birdies on 11 and 14.
An over‑hit approach on the 16th forced him to play a recovery shot, but he finished strongly with consecutive birdies on the final two holes. "I'm playing better today than yesterday and hitting a lot more fairways," McIlroy said. "I felt my drives were stronger, giving me more opportunities.
I didn't feel like I was scrambling around the course; it was a solid round." The tournament continues to build excitement as fans wonder who will ultimately lift the BMW PGA Championship trophy. Early third‑round groups will be broadcast live on Sky Sports Golf Saturday from 9 a.m., with main coverage beginning at noon. Viewers can also explore the latest Sky Sports offers or stream the action without a contract on NOW.
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