Ryan Fox entered the final round of the BMW PGA Championship at Wentworth Club in Surrey, England, positioned three shots behind the leaders after carding a two-under 70 in the third round. The New Zealand golfer, tied for 11th at 10-under-par, played in challenging gusty conditions alongside Northern Ireland’s Rory McIlroy for the third consecutive round.

Fox highlighted the difficulty of the day’s weather, noting that unpredictable wind affected the direction of many of his well-struck shots. Despite the conditions, he managed to save pars with key putts on the front nine and secured a crucial birdie on the par-five 18th hole. “I made a couple of nice par putts to keep it going on the front nine, and then when you feel like you can score on [the] back nine, it just became hard to hit the ball close,” Fox said. “I’m glad I snuck one in there on the last, even though I didn’t hit a very good second shot. I’m still in the hunt, at least.”

The overnight leaders heading into Sunday’s final round are Italy’s Filippo Celli and Spain’s Manuel Elvira, both at 13-under-par. Fox, 39, is aiming to add another title to his record at Wentworth, where his 2023 victory played a significant role in securing his full-time PGA Tour card as one of the top 10 players on the DP World Tour.

Fox was scheduled to tee off alongside England’s Matt Fitzpatrick in the concluding round as he pursued another tournament win. Other New Zealand competitors Daniel Hillier and Kazuma Kobori were further back in the standings, with Hillier tied for 34th at six under and Kobori one shot behind in a tie for 43rd.

Rory McIlroy, a two-time US Masters champion and one of the exclusive group of six men to have held all four major titles, posted a three-under 69 in the third round. Despite being one-over for much of the front nine, McIlroy surged late with birdies on the 12th and 17th holes and capped his round with a remarkable eagle on the par-five 18th after a precise 230-yard approach with a four-iron. His performance left him joint-sixth at 11-under, two strokes off the lead and among a group of five players sharing that score.

McIlroy reflected on the importance of capitalizing on scoring chances, especially on the par-five holes. “I think it was a day when you really had to take advantage of the par-fives, they were your scoring opportunities,” he said.

As the tournament moves into its final round, Fox and McIlroy remain contenders as the field competes for one of the DP World Tour’s flagship titles.