Ryan Gerard leapfrogged Adam Scott and Filippo Celli to take a two-shot lead at the halfway stage of the BMW PGA Championship, as Rory McIlroy impressed on day two to finish four shots off the lead.
Scott and Celli had climbed to take a share of the clubhouse lead midway through the second round at 10 under par, but Gerard surged in the afternoon, posting a flawless bogey-free seven-under 65 to finish his day at 12 under.
Aaron Rai, who co-led coming into Friday’s round, finished tied with Manuel Elvira for fourth at nine under, while his playing partners, McIlroy and Ryan Fox, trailed them by one shot, sharing sixth place with five other players.
Some big names missed the cut on Friday at Wentworth, including European Ryder Cup stars Jon Rahm and Tommy Fleetwood, who finished at three over on day two.
The Spaniard endured a torrid two days at Wentworth, going 11 over par through 36 holes, to plummet to equal the worst 36-hole score of his career, and to last place on the leaderboard.
Tyrrell Hatton and Matt Fitzpatrick had at times been close to missing the cut on Friday, but both produced remarkable finishes, with each chipping in on the 18th, to finish at four under par.
It was a tough day for Jon Rahm who slumped to finish eleven over through 36 holes
Hatton would make an eagle with his chip from the greenside bunker, while Fitzpatrick clipped a wedge over the stream on the 18th to make birdie.
Race to Dubai leader Patrick Reed was forced to withdraw due to injury after hitting his tee shot on the tenth. The American had also endured a poor start to his front nine, going eight over par through nine holes.
In windy conditions at Wentworth, Gerard struggled to keep his ball on the fairway with his driver, but he was superb with his approach play, drilling a brilliant long iron to the green on the fourth to set himself up for birdie, before following up with another birdie on the eighth.
Back-to-back birdies on 12 and 13 would see him go within one shot of Scott and Celli, and he leapfrogged both players with an eagle on the par-five 17th, thanks to another long iron out of the rough.
Gerard admitted he had tried to stay patient all day, and it paid off, with the 27-year-old wrapping up his round with a birdie on the 18th.
“I don’t know if I was feeling an eagle, birdie finish, but I stayed patient all day,” Gerard said.
“You know when you get to the last couple holes at Wentworth, they are gettable. There’s also trouble lurking, so you have to be careful.
“Good things happen when you stick to the plan and execute shots.”
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Robert MacIntyre sensationally chipped in for an eagle on the 15th on Friday
Scott returned to Wentworth on Friday after his brilliant first round of five under and struggled to build momentum early on, going one over through his opening four holes.
The Australian, who started on the ninth, said he made a quick putting adjustment on his fifth hole that helped him find his rhythm. Scott would subsequently go on to card four straight birdies on holes 14 through 17.
“Over the first couple of holes, my rhythm was a little out,” the Australian said. “I made an adjustment on the fifth green, and it went in, so I ran with that for the rest of the day.
“Sometimes you just have to find that one little thing, and I’m glad I made that adjustment early. Kind of helps the rest of the game; when you feel like the putter is good, you free up the rest of the game.”
McIlroy improves after faltering late in first round
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Rory McIlroy enjoyed a much improved day at Wentworth, going eight under par through 36 holes
After admitting he “stumbled” towards the end of his first round, McIlroy produced a much improved performance.
The reigning Masters champion again got off to a flying start, going four under through five, and had the crowd roaring on the par-three second when he chipped in from off the green for birdie.
A missed fairway on the eighth would prove costly, but he hit back with birdies on 11 and 14, before overshooting an approach on the 16th to give another shot back to the course. He ended his round with a flourish, making back-to-back birdies on holes 17 and 18.
“I’m playing a bit better today than I did yesterday and hit a lot more fairways,” McIlroy said. “Felt like I drove the ball better and gave myself a few more chances.
“I didn’t feel like I was scrambling my way around most of the day today. Solid round.”
Who will win the BMW PGA Championship? Watch early third-round featured groups coverage live on Sky Sports Golf on Saturday from 9am, before main coverage commences at 12pm on Sky Sports Golf. Get latest Sky Sports deals or stream with no contract on NOW
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