RORY: IT’S TRULY MY LUCKY DAY
Mcilroy gives moving tribute to Her Majesty and then rides his fortune to go in one off the pace
RORY MCILROY took full advantage of a major stroke of luck in his bid for a second BMW PGA Championship title, following a moving tribute to the Queen.
A two-minute silence at 9.50am was impeccably observed, with DP World Tour chief executive Keith Pelley joining staff, players and caddies in front of the first tee.
Defending champion Billy Horschel revealed he and his wife visited Windsor Castle to pay their respects when the tournament was put on hold on Friday, with Min Woo Lee doing likewise at Buckingham Palace.
Mcilroy paid tribute to the Queen’s “dignity, dedication and grace personified”, adding: “I think growing up in Northern Ireland the Royal Family was part of our culture and you just sort of took it for granted that the Queen is the Queen.”
He began his second round eight shots off the lead shared by Soren Kjeldsen and Viktor Hovland, but gradually made up ground with an eagle on the fourth and a birdie on the eighth,
taking him out in 32. Birdies on the 11th and 12th were followed by four straight pars before Mcilroy pulled his drive on the 17th into the trees and towards the out of bounds, only for his ball to emerge a few seconds later on the edge of the fairway.
Mcilroy went on to make birdie and admitted: “It was like a seven, nett four. I told Harry (Diamond, his caddie) I won’t be complaining about my luck until at least next year. It was very lucky.”
Another birdie on the 18th saw Mcilroy match his lowest-ever score at Wentworth, a 65 leaving him one off the pace alongside Thomas Detry and Rafa Cabrera Bello.
Hovland, who added a 68 to his opening 64, won his second
DP World Tour title in Dubai in January and would love to claim another of the circuit’s biggest events.
Kjeldsen had set the early target thanks to a superb 64, the 47-year-old Dane dropping a shot on the first but responding with an eagle and seven birdies.
Speaking about observing the period of silence Kjeldsen said: “Being a foreigner but having lived here I had some idea how much the Queen meant to the British public, but it was quite overwhelming and I was taken aback by how much she was loved. It was a very special moment.”
Government guidance following the Queen’s death on Friday stated there was no obligation on sports organisations to cancel or reschedule events.
Pelley said:
“I have heard from so many players that want to honour
Her Majesty and felt that playing was the right way to do it.”