Staff WriterIf you thought the BMW PGA Championship was winding down quietly, Alex Noren had other plans. The Swede lit up Wentworth’s 18th with a thumping eagle putt to tie Adrien Saddier at the top of the leaderboard, leaving Sunday’s finale wide open.
The past champion, who lifted the trophy in 2017, stormed home with a birdie-birdie-eagle finish for a Saturday 66. That surge dragged him into a share of the lead on 15 under par, just as the leaders ahead of him were struggling in the autumn breeze.
“I hit some good iron shots. I think my irons have been better than my wedges, and then pretty good off the tee today, and especially Thursday was great,” Noren said. “It’s been a wonderful three days, a lot of fun out there. … It’s going to be so much fun. I love this.”
Saddier Steady as Ever
Standing alongside Noren is Adrien Saddier, who has been quietly turning his season into a career-defining one. Fresh from a top-five at the Amgen Irish Open, the Frenchman carved up Wentworth with eight birdies and just a single blemish to card 65.
“I think I’m pretty good tee-to-green. Don’t miss a lot of fairways. I hit a lot of greens, and then so I’ve got a lot of birdie chances. Yeah, that’s a big strength in my game,” Saddier explained. “For sure it would be good (to win). It’s the biggest event of the year, but … we’ll see tomorrow what happens.”
For a man who claimed his maiden DP World Tour win earlier this season at the Italian Open, this would be another step into the spotlight.
Hatton Hunts
Two strokes back lurks Tyrrell Hatton, sharpening his teeth with a flawless 64 that included eight birdies. Hatton, who has been playing with the sort of restless energy that makes clubhouses nervous, is lurking on 13 under.
“It was a good day’s work,” Hatton said. “Got off to a little bit of a slow start, but yeah, the last ten holes was great. … I’ll go out there tomorrow and give it my best, and hopefully it will be a good day.”
Behind him, Ryder Cup teammate Viktor Hovland endured a topsy-turvy 71—five birdies, two bogeys and a double. He’ll start the final round in fourth, three behind the leaders.
Weather, Drama, and Early Starts
With English skies threatening to misbehave, tournament officials have shoved Sunday tee times forward. Noren, Saddier, and Hatton will go off at 11:10 a.m. local time in what promises to be a thriller.
The BMW PGA Championship has long been the crown jewel of the DP World Tour calendar, and this year’s edition has all the makings of a classic.
Noren brings pedigree, Saddier has momentum, and Hatton is in no mood to be anyone’s understudy.
One way or another, Wentworth’s West Course will demand a hero on Sunday. And if history tells us anything, it won’t be shy about breaking a few hearts along the way.
