Rory McIlroy and Shane Lowry both birdied their final two holes on day two of the BMW PGA Championship at Wentworth and they are both safely through to the weekend with McIlroy well-placed inside the top 10.
It will go down as a week to brush under the carpet for Tom McKibbin and Pádraig Harrington however, as McKibbin’s run of back-to-back top-10 finishes on the DP World Tour ends and Harrington has now missed the cut in five of his last six appearances at the DP World Tour’s flagship event.
McIlroy feels that he’s right in contention to be going into the weekend after following his opening 69 with a five-under 67, while Lowry carded three birdies over his opening 12 holes but found himself straddling the cutline after back-to-back bogeys on 13 and 14.
But a week after setting a new record for the largest margin of victory in Irish Open history, the Offaly man produced a birdie-birdie finish to climb into a share of 31st and give him a chance to make a weekend charge.
Ryan Gerard produced a stellar round of 65 to move two strokes clear at the top of the leaderboard.
The American went bogey free on day two at Wentworth Club, mixing five birdies with an eagle throughout the afternoon to reach 12 under par and lead the way in Surrey.
Gerard, having opened with a 67, was one stroke back heading into his second round, and remained in touch with the leaders as he picked up four shots in 13 holes.
The World Number 21 entered the West Course’s famous pair of par-five finishers two behind, an eagle-birdie close seeing him leap to the top of the pack after 36 holes.
The 27-year-old will now set his sights on a maiden Rolex Series victory, having earned DP World Tour status by winning last season’s Barracuda Championship and finishing in a tie for 38th in his debut at this event last year.
Adam Scott and Filippo Celli are the nearest challengers, the pair carding respective second rounds of 67 and 66 in the morning wave to set the initial lead on Friday at ten under par.
Scott, having started on the ninth tee, had to settle for four pars and a bogey over his opening five holes, before a birdie at the par three 14 sparked a run of six in a row.
The Australian mixed a further two gains with as many bogeys on his way home, as he eyes his own maiden Rolex Series victory in his 11th appearance at Wentworth.
Italian Celli registered four birdies and a bogey across his opening nine holes to go out in 32, picking up a further shot on all three of the back-nine par fives to post the low tally.
The 26-year-old, in his 67th start, will be in pursuit of his first win on golf’s Global Tour across the weekend.
Spain’s Manuel Elvira flew up the leaderboard with a 66 of his own to finish the day in a share of fourth at nine under par, alongside US PGA Championship winner Aaron Rai.
McIlroy, American JJ Spaun, Spaniard Nacho Elvira, Englishman Ross Fisher, and New Zealander Ryan Fox round out the top ten a further shot back.
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