Matteo Manassero races to the top of Wentworth – Articles – Rolex Series

Matteo Manassero confirmed his authority with a flawless third-round 63 to take the lead at the BMW PGA Championship.

Moving Day lived up to expectations as six players held the advantage in one way or another on a Saturday that began in torrential rain and finished in glorious sunshine at the Wentworth Club.

However, it was Manassero who took the tournament by storm after carding an eagle and six birdies to reach 18 under, the lowest 54-hole par score in the history of the event, and finish three ahead of playing partners Billy Horschel and Rory McIlroy.

The Italian won the event in 2013 before losing his right to play five years later due to a drop in form, meaning he had to retire from the game completely for a few months before returning to the Alps Tour.

Manassero has worked his way up to the European Challenge Tour and reclaimed his DP World Tour card for the current campaign, winning his fourth title at that level at the Jonsson Workwear Open in March.

“No, not really, to be honest,” Manassero said when asked if he saw his score coming early in the day. “It was one of the best rounds I’ve ever played considering the conditions, especially on the front nine.”

“It was raining, the course was soft but the game was long. There weren’t many birdies but I made the most of it and it was a fantastic round.

“It’s great to play with guys like Rory and Billy and the atmosphere is great. Wentworth put on a fantastic show around us and of course you feed off that, you feed off of playing with great players so it was one of those really cool Saturdays.

“Of course I will look at the standings and I know what I am facing tomorrow and it is a great position to be in.

“It’s not going to be an easy task tomorrow, today’s golf was great for me and we’ll see about tomorrow. I’m going to take everything in hand based on what this event means and I’m going to make the most of a Sunday in difficult but enjoyable conditions.”

Evening leader Matthew Baldwin negotiated the first with a calming drive as the final group started with a par each, but Niklas Nørgaard and Antoine Rozner made their attack in the next.

Nørgaard was inches away from the second ace of the day on the hole for a tap-in to cut the gap to one, with Rozner following the Dane with a birdie to reach 11 under.

Baldwin saved par after finding the bunker but missed from close range on the next hole to move back alongside Nørgaard at 12 under.

Shortly after, Manassero holed a long eagle putt on the third to tie the lead at three, then McIlroy followed suit from five feet to find himself three feet behind Rozner.

Rozner briefly made it four shots back to the top after a superb birdie on the fourth, but Nørgaard and Baldwin made shots on the same hole to move into the lead at 13 under.

All three members of the final group bogeyed the par fifth, with Nørgaard and Baldwin joining Manassero at 12 under for a three-way tie.

Baldwin got back to 13-under for the second time with a birdie on the sixth hole, the same hole where Nørgaard made bogey. Manassero wasn’t alone at 12-under, however, as McIlroy made a nice putt for the win on the seventh hole.

The Northern Irishman was joint leader when he holed a 20-foot putt on the 10th hole to move to 13 under alongside Baldwin.

Manassero came back to the top to take the trio into the lead with a win at the 11th, with McIlroy inches away from chipping in to take the lead.

Horschel briefly tied the four with a birdie on the 12th hole, but Manassero and McIlroy matched it to take the lead at 14 under.

A birdie by Baldwin on the 12th hole extended the lead to three and when Horschel made it six straight on the hole ahead, there were four at the top.

Manassero extended the lead to 15 under with a brilliant 20-foot birdie at the 14th, with Horschel making seven consecutive birdies from seven feet to join the Italian at the top.

Baldwin didn’t wait long to join the top pair by holing a shot at the 14th, but Horschel fell back when his career-best birdie streak was interrupted by a bogey on the next hole.

Manassero and Baldwin saved par at the 15th before the former pulled away alone after back-to-back birdies at the 16th to become the first player at 17 under.

McIlroy found water on the greenside of the final hole just as Baldwin made bogey on the penultimate hole to drop to 14 under, but Manassero continued to advance.

The 31-year-old finished his round with a hat-trick of birdies for a clean third round, while Horschel moved to 15 under with a final-round win of his own.

Baldwin shot a 70 to finish fourth at 14 under, while Rozner and Thriston Lawrence were a little further back and Aaron Rai was at 12 under.

Harry Hall was alone in eighth at 11 under par, with Marcus Armitage, Robert MacIntyre and Germany’s Yannik Paul all ten under par.