BMW PGA Championship: Rory McIlroy one back as play resumes at Wentworth after Queen’s death | Golf News

Viktor Hovland and Soren Kjeldsen share the lead on 12 under after a sombre second round, delayed by a day due to the passing of Her Majesty; McIlroy in the group one back and Shane Lowry two behind heading into Sunday’s final round

Rory McIlroy moved within a shot of the lead heading into the final round of the BMW PGA Championship, on a day where golf paid tribute to The Queen at Wentworth.

The tournament was suspended on Thursday evening immediately after Buckingham Palace announced the passing of Her Majesty and play was also canceled on Friday, with the event reduced to 54 holes ahead of its resumption on Saturday morning.

Thirty players returned to complete their opening rounds and a two-minute period of silence was observed at 9.50am, with DP World Tour chief executive Keith Pelley joining staff on the practice putting green, while the proclamation of King Charles III was also shown on big screens.

Overnight co-leader Viktor Hovland followed a first-round 64 with a four-under 68 to share the lead on 12 under with veteran Soren Kjeldsen, who carded a second-round 64 despite bogeying his opening hole, with McIlroy in the group one behind as he looks to win the event for a second time.

Many high-profile sporting events were either postponed or canceled in respect of the Royal Family, despite no obligation to do so in the official mourning guidance published by the Government, with Hovland supporting the decision to continue the tournament.

“Obviously it’s a sad thing that happened but maybe spin around and use the sport as a celebration and remember the Queen’s life and celebrate it in that way,” said Hovland, who mixed five birdies with a lone bogey. “It was eerily quiet on the course during the silence, but I think it’s a good thing that we all pay our respects.”

McIlroy followed a 10-foot eagle at the fourth by converting from 15 feet at the eighth and posting back-to-back gains from the 11th, before taking advantage of bouncing out of the trees at the par-five 17th to pick up another shot .

The 2014 champion birdied the last to close a bogey-free 65, with Thomas Detry and Rafa Cabrera Bello both birdieing five of their final seven holes to match McIlroy’s total and sit in a share of third on 11 under.

“I have won 10 percent of the tournaments I’ve entered as a professional, so every win is a big one,” McIlroy said. “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.”

Shane Lowry birdied his final two holes to move to 10 under with 2018 champion Francesco Molinari, England’s Matthew Jordan, as well as Spain’s Adrian Otaegui and American Talor Gooch – the two highest-ranked of the 15 golfers in action who also played in the LIV Golf event in Boston last week.

US Open champion Matt Fitzpatrick made a long-range eagle at the par-five last to close a five-under 67 and join defending champion Billy Horschel in the large group on eight under, with 27 players heading into the final round within four strokes of the lead.

Min Woo Lee threatened a ’59 round’ after following six birdies in an eight-hole stretch with two eagles on his back nine, including a hole-out from 190 yards at the 15th, before canceling out a bogey at the 17th with a closing birdie to post a 10-under 62 and equal the course record.

“I finished (on Thursday) and I got the news and it’s not really what you want to hear,” Lee said. “We went down to Buckingham Palace with a few of the boys yesterday and paid our respects. Now we are back and playing golf and hopefully we can just keep smiles on our faces and play good golf.”

The final round of the BMW PGA Championship takes place on Sunday as scheduled, with coverage of Featured Groups beginning at 8.30am on Sky Sports Golf ahead of full coverage from midday.