Rory McIlroy put in a stellar performance to move within a shot of the lead at the PGA Championship in Wentworth and admitted he was inspired by the presence of the LIV Golf stars.
On Saturday, the three-time FedEx Cup champion moved within one shot of the lead at the BMW Championship at Wentworth as he sunk a birdie on the 18th hole. It meant McIlroy shot an impressive 65 ahead of the final round.
The Northern Irishman started his round perfectly as he potted an eagle at the fourth and maintained momentum by securing birdies at holes eight, 11 and 12. He received his fair share of luck too, with a fortunate bounce off the trees on the 17th allowed McIlroy to make a birdie on the penultimate hole, too.
McIlroy will start the final round of the 54-hole tournament - shortened following the tragic death of Queen Elizabeth II - one shot behind leaders Søren Kjeldsen and Viktor Hovland. The duo shot 64 and 68 respectively to lead heading into Sunday’s action.
Asked what it would mean to win at Wentworth, McIlroy said: “I have won 10 per cent of the tournaments I’ve entered as a professional so every win is a big one.
“But with everything that’s going on around our game and everything that’s happened over the last couple of days it would certainly be up there as one of the most memorable.
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“You know once I had that great finish in the States, I wanted to turn my attention here and win the Race to Dubai. You know, it would be great to win it for the fourth time, and I didn’t want to let up.
“I think if I can play well from now until the end of the year, I keep that momentum I’ve built going into 2023. I’ve got a great chance tomorrow.”
McIlroy’s Ryder Cup teammate Shane Lowry placed himself firmly in contention as he followed an opening round of 66 with a four-under-par score of 68. He birdied the final two par-fives as well as the second and 12th holes, while the Irishman is yet to drop a shot.
Alongside McIlroy at 11-under is Thomas Detry and Rafa Cabrero-Bello, while Francesco Molinari and Matthew Jordan are tied sixth with Lowry at 10 under. US Open champion Matt Fitzpatrick moved with four shots of the lead with a long eagle putt at 18.
