Tight leaderboard for finish at BMW
A truncated tournament could pave the way for a thrilling finish to the
BMW PGA Championship, with the top 10 players separated by two shots heading into Sunday’s final round in Virginia Water, England.
Rory McIlroy is in there. And so are two golfers from the Saudibacked breakaway series.
The European tour’s flagship event has been shortened to 54 holes after a day’s play was canceled following the death of
Queen Elizabeth II. Viktor Hovland and
Soren Kjeldsen were tied for the lead at 12-underpar Saturday at the end of the second round.
McIlroy finished birdiebirdie on the closing par 5s at Wentworth to shoot 7-under 65 — tying his career-low round in the tournament — and was in a three-way share of third place with Thomas Detry (65) and Rafa Cabrera Bello (65), a shot behind the leaders.
Then came five players at 10-under — including
Adrian Otaegui (65) and
Talor Gooch (64), who both now play in the contentious LIV Golf series. Gooch’s presence in the field was criticized ahead of the event by some golfers who have decided to stick with the sport’s established tours and shun the Saudi money.
Gooch was even namechecked by defending champion Billy Horschel, who said his fellow American was at Wentworth “for one reason only and that’s to try to get world ranking points because you don’t have it” in LIV tournaments.
Hovland shot 68 to follow up his opening 64, while Kjeldsen started with a bogey and finished birdie-birdie for a 64 after opening with a 68. Hovland hasn’t won since the Dubai Desert Classic in January.
PGA TOUR
Scottie Scheffler is the PGA Tour Player of the Year and it wasn’t a big surprise. No one had more than his four PGA Tour wins this season. That included the Masters. And he’s been the No. 1 player in the world since March. Scheffler won 89% of the vote from players. He was selected over British Open champion Cameron Smith and FedEx Cup champion McIlroy. He’s the first player to win
Korn Ferry Tour Player of the Year, PGA Tour Rookie of the Year and PGA Tour Player of the Year. He did all that in four years.
LPGA TOUR
Ally Ewing takes a one-shot lead into the final round of the Kroger Queen City Championship in Cincinnati. Ewing had a hot start to take the lead at 16-under and she stayed there on a soggy Kenwood Country Club Course. With a bogey on the last hole, Ewing shot a 67. That gives her a oneshot lead over Maria Fassi of Mexico.
CHAMPIONS TOUR
Padraig Harrington bogeyed the final hole for a 5-under 66, leaving him just a stroke ahead of Steve Stricker and Bernhard Langer in the Ascension Charity Classic in St. Louis.