For a second day running there was occasions when it seemed safer for Rory McIlroy fans to roam the fairways than stay behind the BMW PGA Championship spectator ropes.
Such was the nature of McIlroy’s day two score 69 in managing to deliver those fans and event organisers a huge sigh of relief to just make the one-over par cut-off mark at Wentworth.
It left the World No. 2 trailing a dozen shots behind the leading duo of former Masters champ, Danny Willett (65) and Spaniard Jon Rahm (66) who lead the field at 11-under par.
McIlroy was struggling below the ‘Burma Road’ cut-off mark with five holes to play before grabbing a birdie at the 13th and then chipping-in from some 15-yards for a birdie ‘3’ on 16.
He then had spectators scattering left of 17 in taking a par and then right with his second shot at 18 and in also posting a par.
“I had not done much for the last couple of weeks so much so my alignment was off a little bit, and the more my alignment gets off the bigger the misses are each way as you saw out there,” he said.
“I worked with Michael (Bannon – coach) for a few hours on that after my first round and felt I made some good strides but then it is easier working on that aspect of your game on the range compared with being on the golf course.
“Overall, I am proud I was able to get back into the weekend and while I have a bit of work now to do over the weekend, I am just glad I am here for it.
“Also, I did not want to let down my father as I have been getting text messages from him as we are playing together in next week’s Dunhill Links.”
And for McIlroy, it was a third Wentworth round in succession playing partner Francesco Molinari had produced a better score and his Italian-born rival produced scores of 69 and 70 for a five-under 36-hole total.
McIlroy does head into the last two rounds with history somewhat still on his side as his biggest-ever career comeback was making-up nine shots on the final day to capture the 2010 Quail Hollow Championship in Charlotte, North Carolina.
The win, and thanks to a new course record setting 62, was McIlroy’s first success on the PGA Tour.
Joining McIlroy for the closing two rounds is fellow Open champ, is Shane Lowry who fought back from a double-bogey on 16 to birdie the last in a round of 71 and head the Irish in a share of 40th place on one-under par.
“I just got off to a bad start today but then I hit a couple of ropey tee shots today and you do that around here, you are going to be struggling,” said Lowry.
“Somehow I shot one-under and thanks to the birdie at the last there.
“The way things are now it’s all about gaining as many Race to Dubai points as I can as every point I now earn is a bonus.
“So, that’s why it’s been great to make it through to the weekend and while I am 10 shots behind the leaders, players have won from this position.
“I do need to go out and shoot a low one in the morning and hopefully I will get rewarded so that is my main goal for tomorrow”.
Padraig Harrington also fought back from a second hole double-bogey to birdie three and four, but stayed below the cut line until a closing hole birdie in a score of 72 to be tied with McIlroy on one-under.
