VIRGINIA WATER, England — Rory McIlroy closed with a birdie-eagle finish to shoot 3-under 69 on Saturday and move within two shots of the lead at the BMW PGA Championship at Wentworth. The No. 2-ranked McIlroy sits at 11-under 205 after three rounds, two strokes behind co-leaders Manuel Elvira (68) and Filippo Cello (69) who top a crowded leaderboard at 13 under.
McIlroy finished in style on the back-to-back closing par 5s, hitting a 4-iron from 230 yards to inside 2 feet on the 18th and holing the eagle putt. "I feel like I've given myself a real opportunity tomorrow," said McIlroy, who won the DP World Tour's flagship event in 2014 — the same summer he captured the Open Championship and the PGA Championship.
There are 15 players within three shots of the lead. Neither Cello nor Elvira has won a title on the DP World Tour. Three players sit one back at 12 under — Johannes Veerman (64), Alejandro Del Rey (64) and former U.S. Open winner J.J. Spaun (68). McIlroy is in a five-man tie for sixth that also includes Adam Scott (71) and LIV Golf star Joaquin Niemann (67), while second-round leader Ryan Gerard slipped back with a 75.
"It's going to be an interesting day," McIlroy said, looking ahead to the final round. "There's a lot of people around the lead. I think the conditions the last couple of days, that's the reason it hasn't let anyone get away from the pack just because it has played so tricky and difficult." The final round is underway at Wentworth Club in Surrey, following Rai and Lagergren sharing the early lead at Wentworth after the opening rounds.