Baldwin Equals PGA Championship Record to Extend Lead
BMW PGA Championship Leaderboard
-13 Matt Baldwin (Eng)
-11 Niklas Norgaard (Den)
-10 Antoine Rozner (Fra)
Selected Scores:
-9 Matteo Manassero (Ita), Rory McIlroy (NI)
-8 Billy Horschel (US)
-7 Tommy Fleetwood (Eng), Robert MacIntyre (Sco), Harry Hall (Eng), James Wilson (Eng)
-6 Eddie Pepperell (Eng), Andy Sullivan (Eng), Marcus Armitage (Eng), Aaron Rai (Eng), Dan Bradbury (Eng), Shane Lowry (Ire)
England’s Matt Baldwin extended his lead at the BMW PGA Championship after equalling the tournament record over the first two rounds at Wentworth in Surrey. Baldwin shot a 66 following his opening round of 65, putting him at 13 under par, matching the halfway record set by Ireland’s Paul McGinley in 2008.
Baldwin’s Journey and Resilience
At 38, Baldwin’s rise is a story of resilience. Just three years ago, he was working as an Amazon delivery driver and had considered quitting golf. Reflecting on his journey, Baldwin said:
“I had three or four months working at Amazon driving a van, just to get through the winter before the Challenge Tour in 2022. I learned a lot from that, including how much I really wanted to play golf.”
The Competition
Denmark’s Niklas Norgaard is in second place at 11 under par, while France’s Antoine Rozner is one shot further back at 10 under. Northern Ireland’s Rory McIlroy is tied for fourth on 9 under, following a round of 68 after his opening 67.
Play was suspended for 77 minutes due to lightning threats, but Baldwin remained composed, sinking a 25-foot par putt on the 16th hole before the suspension.
Baldwin, who played junior golf with fellow Englishman Tommy Fleetwood, now sits six shots ahead of his childhood friend, who is at 7 under.
McIlroy’s Comeback
Rory McIlroy came into the tournament after a narrow loss at the Irish Open, where he narrowly missed out on victory to Rasmus Hojgaard. McIlroy stated:
“It’s important to play well, but it’s also good to come back out and give myself a chance at another big tournament. I didn’t want to take a week off and dwell on the Irish Open loss.”
