BMW PGA Championship 2026: Ryan Gerard takes two-shot lead at halfway stage, as McIlroy impresses to go four shots back

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.

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Aaron Rai, who co-led coming into Friday's round, finished tied with Manuel Elvira for fourth, while his playing partners, McIlroy and Ryan Fox, trailed them by one shot, sharing sixth place with five other players at eight under par.

Some big names missed the cut on Friday at Wentworth, including European Ryder Cup stars Jon Rahm and Tommy Fleetwood, with the Spaniard enduring a torrid two days at Wentworth, going 11 over par through 36 holes.

Tyrrell Hatton and Matt Fitzpatrick had at times been in danger of missing the cut too on Friday, but both produced remarkable finishes, each chipping in on the 18th, with the former making an eagle, to cap off their second rounds in style.

Race to Dubai leader Patrick Reed was forced to withdraw due to injury on the ninth hole after going nine over par.

In windy conditions at Wentworth, Gerard struggled to keep his ball on the fairway off the tee, but was superb with his approach play, drilling a brilliant long iron into the green on the fourth to set himself up for birdie, following up with a second on the eighth.

Back-to-back birdies on 12 and 13 would see him go within one shot of Scott and Celli, but 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 here, they are gettable. There's also trouble lurking, so you have to be careful.

"I just felt like we were putting the ball in the right spots all day. Good things happen when you stick to the plan and execute shots."

Scott was once again in flying form at Wentworth, notably carding four straight birdies on holes 14 through 17.

It came after the 2013 Masters champion, who began his round on the ninth, got off to a slow start, going one over through his opening four holes, but he revealed that a mid-round putting adjustment helped him find his rhythm.

"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."

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