Rory McIlroy Climbs Wentworth Leaderboard With Saturday 65
The four-time Major winner equalled the lowest round of the week with a seven under par 65 in the third round
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The four-time Major winner equalled the lowest round of the week with a seven under par 65 in the third round
Rory McIlroy Climbs Wentworth Leaderboard With Saturday 65
After making the cut on the number at the BMW PGA Championship, Rory McIlroy has given himself an outside chance of victory after a stunning 65 on Saturday morning.
The World No.2 began the day at +1 for the tournament but ended it at -6 after six birdies and an eagle.
"Obviously the leaders are way up there, but the conditions are going to be tricky. The course is getting firm. If I can shoot 7-under tomorrow, get myself to minus six, you never know," he said on Friday evening on his chances of victory.
Seven under was what he was looking for, and that's exactly what he scored on Saturday.
"It's amazing," he said of the turnaround in his game after the opening 76 in round one.
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"I only took two weeks off but it felt like I had not played golf in years on Thursday. It was strange.
"But it has been nice to sort of figure it out a little bit, play a bit better yesterday. Obviously played much better today."
He got off to the perfect start with a birdie at the short 2nd before a beautiful high-flighted mid-iron settled a few feet from the cup on the third for an easy birdie.
Another birdie followed at the downhill par-5 4th to quickly get to three under for his opening four holes.
He made seven pars in a row from the 5th tee, including a horseshoe lip-out on 10, before a wedge to tap-in range on 11 for the easiest of birdies saw him go to -4 for the day and -3 for the tournament.
Watch: McIlroy's birdie on 11 -
The four-time Major winner still had three par-5s left to play in his final seven holes and conditions were absolutely perfect on a sunny September morning at Wentworth.
Rory hit a beauty into the par-5 12th to some 15ft and duly holed the eagle putt to go -6 for the day.
Watch: McIlroy's eagle on 12 -
He then parred 13, where he had a good look at birdie, and parred the 14th too.
McIlroy found the fairway at the 15th, one of the toughest tee shots on the course, and hit his approach to within 6ft at the 490 yard par-4 which he converted for yet another birdie.
He stood on the 16th at -7 for the day and just five back of the leaders with two par-5s ahead, albeit he had played those par-5s in three over for the week.
Bogey-free for the day, his first drop shot would come at 16 after finding the trees off the tee.
He got that straight back at the 17th, though, with a 10 footer for birdie to cap an excellent up-and-down after missing the green left with his fairway wood approach.
The four-time Major winner could only par the last after missing the fairway off the tee, but his 65 equals the lowest round of the week at Wentworth and at least gives him a chance of challenging the leaders tomorrow.
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Elliott Heath is our News Editor and has been with Golf Monthly since early 2016 after graduating with a degree in Sports Journalism. He manages the Golf Monthly news team as well as our large Facebook, Twitter and Instagram pages. He covered the 2022 Masters from Augusta National as well as five Open Championships on-site including the 150th at St Andrews. His first Open was in 2017 at Royal Birkdale, when he walked inside the ropes with Jordan Spieth during the Texan's memorable Claret Jug triumph. He has played 35 of our Top 100 golf courses, with his favourites being both Sunningdales, Woodhall Spa, Western Gailes, Old Head and Turnberry. He has been obsessed with the sport since the age of 8 and currently plays off of a six handicap. His golfing highlights are making albatross on the 9th hole on the Hotchkin Course at Woodhall Spa, shooting an under-par round, playing in the Aramco Team Series on the Ladies European Tour and making his one and only hole-in-one at the age of 15 - a long time ago now!
Elliott is currently playing:
Driver: Titleist TSR4
3 wood: Titleist TSi2
Hybrids: Titleist 816 H1
Irons: Mizuno MP5 5-PW
Wedges: Cleveland RTX ZipCore 50, 54, 58
Putter: Odyssey White Hot OG #5
Ball: Srixon Z Star XV
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