It could have gone sideways for Rory McIlroy in Round 3 of the BMW PGA Championship on Saturday, but he saved his day at the end and will share the lead going into the final round from Wentworth on Sunday. McIlroy, who came in with a three-stroke lead, played the first six holes in 3 over before recovering and playing the final 12 in 4 under for a 1-under 71.
It was more dramatic than it sounds, probably. The Ulsterman was in danger of a five-shot swing and trailing Francesco Molinari (who shot 66) by two going into Round 4. But birdies from McIlroy at Nos. 17 and 18 mean the two are tied at 13 under after McIlroy got up and down at both par 5s for birdies.
Molinari and McIlroy are four clear of the rest of the field with Ross Fisher, Alex Noren, Sam Horsefield and Branden Grace sitting at 9 under.
McIlroy clearly didn't have his swing from the first two days that made Noren jokingly contemplate quitting golf, but he held it together with a short game that has sometimes lacked over the past few years. It's going to be interesting to see if Saturday was simply McIlroy's bad round -- which he expertly held together -- and he hops back in the saddle on Sunday, or if it was a harbinger for a leaky weekend game.
"I just hit some loose tee balls on the first few holes," said McIlroy. "But I'm proud of myself. I stayed patient. Actually I'm feeling a bit better about myself after today than I was even walking off the course yesterday. I felt like I left a few out there yesterday and I felt like I basically did as good as I could have done today."
McIlroy is seeking his second win of the year worldwide on Sunday as well as his second at the BMW PGA Championship with the other one coming in 2014 right before he won a pair of majors that summer. I have no idea if we're in store for another Summer of Rory, but I do know him winning Wentworth -- the European Tour's version of The Players Championship -- would be a nice statement with the U.S. Open on deck.
"I'm looking forward to tomorrow," said McIlroy. "I'll need to play better than what I played today. I scrambled well for the most part. I was 4 under for the last 12 holes in this wind, which was pretty good but it wasn't the caliber of golf that I played yesterday. I need to start hitting more quality shots and put the ball in play and if I can do that, then, you know, tomorrow is a big day."