McIlroy two shots back at Wentworth after eagle leaves him on 11 under

Rory McIlroy sits two shots behind Filippo Celli and Manuel Elvira at the PGA Championship at Wentworth after round three on Sunday, having eagled the 18th to card a 69.

The 69 leaves McIlroy on 11 under as he heads into the final round; he arrives at Wentworth this week as the reigning Masters champion after winning the Masters and then the Irish Open in September 2025. "I’d certainly like to win again," said McIlroy. "The Masters feels like quite a long time ago. I have had half-chances here and there since then, but tomorrow is a great opportunity. "It is a tournament and a place that means a lot to me. I first came here as a 10-year-old to watch the World Match Play with my mum and dad. I have played this tournament so many times, I have been able to win this event and now I have a house on the estate. I have a lot of history here, a 27-year history."

Filippo Celli and Manuel Elvira share the 54-hole lead at 13 under after both birdied the 18th; Celli is 358th in the world rankings and Elvira is 294th. Alejandro del Rey, Johannes Veerman and JJ Spaun are a stroke back on 12 under; del Rey and Veerman each shot 64 in round three and Spaun arrived in Surrey "with a point to prove after being overlooked for the United States Presidents Cup team."

Kristoffer Reitan also shot 64 and sits alongside Joaquin Niemann, Adam Scott, Davis Bryant and McIlroy at 11 under. For the second time in three days, Scott missed an apparently straightforward eagle opportunity on the 18th green.

McIlroy described a slow, testing day in which he was one over through 11 holes before a late surge; he birdied the 17th and then hit a 230-yard four iron at the last to give himself a tap-in eagle that completed his 69. "It was a frustrating day," he said. "It was hard to get the ball close to the hole, but if you look at the last few groups, I think everyone has struggled. We had the most of the wind and those first 11 holes were very, very difficult. "It was a day when you really needed patience. That patience I tried to show all day was rewarded with the birdie and eagle."

The galleries were notably vocal around McIlroy, with the report that "it feels as if 95% of the gallery follow him," and McIlroy praising the support: "The crowds and the atmosphere have been absolutely incredible," McIlroy said. "Great tournaments need great crowds and, honestly, this is one of the best atmospheres we play in all year."

A group at 10 under includes Ludvig Åberg and Robert MacIntyre; MacIntyre was candid after his 66, which featured 14 single putts. "Thankfully I can putt because I can’t hit an iron shot to save my life," he said. "I hit some unbelievable shots, but I also hit some of the worst possible shots you can hit. "There’s signs of it being there, but it’s frustrating. I’ve shot six under through putting unbelievable and you can’t complain about that, but I would like it a little bit more stress-free." Nine under sits four shots adrift in a share of 16th place and, as the report observed, round four predictions feel like a fool’s errand.

Eighteen holes remain at Wentworth; if McIlroy finishes solo second he will overtake Patrick Reed in the DP World Tour’s order of merit race.