BMW PGA: WIllet and Rahm lead, McIlroy survives cut on the number

Danny Willett and Jon Rahm made contrasting starts but both fired superb 65s to share the halfway lead at the BMW PGA Championship as Rory McIlroy dug deep to make the cut.

Willett had a Wentworth course-record in his sights when raced to the turn in 29 for the second time in his career, while Rahm produced an outstanding recovery from a bogey-bogey start as they ended the day tied at the top on 11 under.

Justin Rose’s hopes of winning a “bucket list” event remain intact after the injured Englishman added a 68 to his opening 67 which takes him into the weekend two shots off the lead alongside Ryder Cup partner Henrik Stenson and Christiaan Bezuidenhout.

Overnight leader Matt Wallace tumbled down the leaderboard after following his opening 65 with a 76, while McIlroy cut out the mistakes that blighted his first-round 76 as he carded four birdies in a battling 69, closing right on the cut line at one over par.

Willett broke 30 for the outward-nine back in 2016, and he emulated that with a blistering run of early scoring in which he birdied the first for the second day running, and he added further birdies at the third and fifth either side of an eagle at the fourth.

His birdie putt at the ninth was his 29th shot of the round, and Alex Noren’s course-record 62 was under threat when Willett picked up shots at 11 and 12 before a bogey at the 14th took the wind out of his sails.

Willett parred home to stay at 11 under and tied for the lead with Rahm, who bounced back from his erratic start with four consecutive birdies and, after another blemish at the 10th, he birdied 12 and 13 before drilling a superb second to 10 feet at the last and rolling in the chance for eagle.

South African Bezuidenhout, winner of the Andalucia Masters in June, briefly held the clubhouse lead on nine under after returning a bogey-free 67, and he later had big-name company in a share of third when he was joined by Rose and Stenson.

Rose continued to defy his sore left knee as he made five birdies against just one bogey in his 68, while Stenson was one over for the day after eight holes before getting back on track with three birdies over the next four.

The Swede added another at the last to close out a resolute 69, while Billy Horschel emerged as the leading American threat on his debut in the event, firing an impressive 65 to get to seven under alongside 2009 champion Paul Casey (69).

The majority of the late afternoon attention then shifted to McIlroy, who declined to speak to the media on Thursday after stumbling to a four-over 76 having been three under through five holes.

Needing to break 70 at the least to have a chance to extend his tournament, McIlroy got off to another bright start with birdies at the first and fourth, only to give one back after a wayward tee shot into the fifth.

McIlroy was finding birdies hard to come by as he put together a run of eight straight pars, but a delightful tee-shot to three feet at the 14th which he converted for a two, and he chipped in from the rear fringe for a priceless birdie on the 16th that got him inside the projected cut line.

He endured scares at both 17 and 18 when he carved ambitious second shots right of the target at both par-fives and, after comfortably saving par at 17, his final hole was anything but straight-forward.

A blocked long iron flirted with the out-of-bounds on the right, from where he played a cautious pitch that ran 40 feet past the flag before his first putt pulled up four feet short.

But he nailed the second to scrape into the weekend with nothing to spare, although he will start his third round hours earlier than planned and with 12 shots to make up on the leaders.

(c) Sky Sports 2019: BMW PGA: WIllet and Rahm lead, McIlroy survives cut on the number