The Masters champion Rory McIlroy once again blew up on the final hole at the BMW PGA Championship, capping a turbulent round that saw him flirt with disaster, claw back, and then throw it all away with another meltdown on 18.
After carding a level-par 72 in Friday’s second round, McIlroy stormed off the course without speaking to reporters, looking visibly frustrated as he left the green alongside Ryder Cup teammates Shane Lowry and Jon Rahm.
Another Mess on 18 for Rory McIlroy
McIlroy entered day two at 3-under, but from the very beginning, things started unraveling. He bogeyed three straight holes (3, 4, and 5), putting his weekend hopes in jeopardy. But Rory being Rory, he fought back — draining a 25-footer on the 8th, and rattling off four birdies in five holes on the back nine to get to 5-under.
It was a gutsy rally, but the momentum came to a screeching halt.
After scrambling to save par at 16 and narrowly avoiding OB at 17, McIlroy’s tee shot at the 18th wasn’t just offline — it was out of bounds.
His 3-wood sailed right into a resident’s backyard. He regrouped with a solid drive on his re-tee, but failed to reach the green in regulation. A pitch to six feet left him needing to make bogey, but even that slipped away as the putt lipped out.
After signing for a 72 and failing to birdie a single par-5, McIlroy bypassed the media area entirely.
Hovland Shines and Quietly Dismantles Wentworth
While Rory and Co. were spiraling, Viktor Hovland was surging. The red-hot Norwegian torched Wentworth with a second-round 66, capped by a 45-foot eagle on 18 — his second eagle on the hole in as many days. He now leads the tournament at 11-under, having dropped just one shot in 36 holes.
“I’m super happy to be where I’m at,” said Hovland. “Scoring-wise, it’s incredible… but I do want to play the game a little bit more stress-free.”
Translation: He’s leading by five — and still thinks he’s leaving shots out there.
Weekend Set, But McIlroy’s Frustrations Boil Over
McIlroy is safely in with the cut projected at 2-under, but he looks more shaken than steady. McIlroy’s two-day performance is now defined by back-to-back implosions at 18, and his silence off the course speaks louder than any post-round quote ever could.
For now, he’s still in it. But if Wentworth’s final hole has its way again, McIlroy might be out before he can even make a run.
