Rory McIlroy's second round at Wentworth seemed on the verge of grinding to a halt before a sharp finish altered his trajectory. After charging out of the gates with three birdies over his opening five holes, the defending Masters champion plateaued through the middle stretch, playing the next 11 holes in even par with two birdies offset by two bogeys. But McIlroy capitalized when it mattered most, picking up shots on the par-five 17th and 18th holes to sign for a five-under-par 67 and reach eight-under for the tournament.
That late push left McIlroy tied for sixth alongside fellow major winner JJ Spaun and Ryan Fox, keeping the Northern Irishman four strokes off the pace. American Ryan Gerard established the halfway pace at the BMW PGA Championship at 12-under-par, holding a two-shot cushion over Australian veteran Adam Scott and Italian prospect Filippo Celli, who share second at 10-under.
| Player | Score to Par | Round 2 Score |
|---|---|---|
| Ryan Gerard | -12 | — |
| Adam Scott | -10 | — |
| Filippo Celli | -10 | — |
| Rory McIlroy | -8 | 67 (-5) |
| JJ Spaun | -8 | — |
| Ryan Fox | -8 | — |
In-Flight Mid-Season Calibrations
McIlroy's capacity to hang around while tweaking his swing mid-tournament has become a recurring theme. Following a frustrating eight-over finish at the St. Jude Championship in Memphis earlier in the summer, he made a quick trip home to Florida to consult with swing coach Michael Bannon and caddie Harry Diamond. Working with a specialized training aid, they dialed in a pre-shot rehearsal designed to produce a reliable cut off the tee.
That adjustment bore fruit immediately at Bellerive Country Club during the BMW Championship, where McIlroy opened with a 64 and eventually reached 12-under after 54 holes while ranking sixth in both Strokes Gained: Tee-to-Green and Strokes Gained: Putting. A similar diagnostic session paid off at Augusta National, where McIlroy lost his driving feel during the third round, spent hours on the range with Diamond, and recovered to capture his second Green Jacket.
That willingness to grind through imperfect stretches was evident again on Friday at Wentworth, as McIlroy relied on scrambles and late par-five conversions to keep himself firmly in the mix.
Lowry Battles Back as Major Winners Crash Out
Further down the leaderboard, Amgen Irish Open champion Shane Lowry mounted his own late rescue effort to ensure weekend participation. After reaching four-under for the tournament through 12 holes, back-to-back bogeys on the 13th and 14th threatened to undo his work. Lowry answered with consecutive birdies on the 17th and 18th to complete a round of three-under-par, climbing back to four-under overall to safely make the cut.
Weekend Dynamic and Chasing Pack Scenarios
The closing stretch at Wentworth will play a pivotal role over the final 36 holes. Gerard's main task will be maintaining accuracy off the tee to protect his two-shot lead over Scott and Celli, while preventing the chasing pack from narrowing the four-shot gap. For McIlroy and Scott, success hinges on taking advantage of the par-five 17th and 18th holes and finding fairway corridors on the doglegs to set up aggressive approach shots.
If Gerard remains steady through Wentworth's demanding middle stretch from the 13th to the 15th, he can stall the momentum of his high-profile pursuers. However, any erratic tee shots into the thick tree lines on the front nine could quickly open the door for a decisive charge from McIlroy or Scott.
Sources
These sources formed the evidence pack for this article. Links open the original publisher; inclusion does not imply endorsement.
- pgatour.com original
- independent.co.uk original
- irishtimes.com original
- rte.ie original
