Saddier & Noren share two-shot lead at Wentworth

BMW PGA Championship – round three leaderboard

–15 A Noren (Swe), A Saddier (Fra); -13 T Hatton (Eng); -12 V Hovland (Nor); -11 D Fichardt (SA); -10 H Hall (Eng), P Reed (US), M Fitzpatrick (Eng), A Rai (Eng), E Ferguson (Sco), L Aberg (Swe)

Selected others: -9 R Ramsay (Sco), J Niemann (Chi); -8 T McKibbin (NI), M Wallace (Eng), H Matsuyama (Jap); -7 J Rose (Eng), S Lowry (Ire), J Rahm (Spa); -5 R McIlroy (NI); -3 T Fleetwood (Eng); -2 R MacIntyre (Sco)

Full leaderboard

Sweden’s Alex Noren and Frenchman Adrien Saddier share the lead at the BMW PGA Championship after unpredictable weather prompted a fascinating third round at Wentworth Golf Club.

Amid gruelling conditions, world number 120 Saddier shot a majestic seven-under 65 to finish at 15 under.

He was joined on that mark by Noren, who closed his six-under-par round with a magnificent eagle at the 18th.

Overnight leader Hideki Matsuyama collapsed to a four-over 76, while closest challengers Viktor Hovland, Justin Rose and Ludvig Aberg all endured their own struggles around this famous course.

Hovland had looked the player to beat when he opened with three birdies in his first four holes to take a three-shot lead.

However, bogeys at the eighth and ninth holes cost him his advantage, while dumping his tee shot into the trees at the 12th left him four adrift of those making moves.

Hovland’s 71 kept him in contention on 12 under, though, while his Ryder Cup team-mates faltered.

Rose was seven under after he dropped five shots in his opening six holes on his way to a four-over 76, while Aberg was out of sorts too in carding a one-over 73 to finish at 10 under.

So much of the talk before this tournament – and even before the third round – was about which of Europe’s Ryder Cup players will rule at Wentworth.

With 18 holes left, the leading pair are a relatively unknown Frenchman and a DP World Tour stalwart who is going to Bethpage Black as one of Luke Donald’s vice-captains.

Saddier, 33, has been trending in the right direction, leading after 36 holes at the European Masters and sitting top at the Irish Open last week only to be overhauled on the final day.

This round of 65 arguably topped both, capped by a stunning 49-foot birdie putt to take the lead at the 15th.

Saddier will be joined in the final group tomorrow by Noren, 10 years his senior and winner of the British Masters just three weeks ago.

The Swede had four birdies and two bogeys on his card, before closing out in extraordinary fashion with two birdies and an eagle over the final three holes.

Hatton, who qualified for the Ryder Cup automatically despite playing on the LIV Golf circuit and therefore not accruing points from his home tour, was the pick of the rest as torrential rain and glorious sunshine took turns to cover this leafy corner of Surrey.

Starting the day seven back of Matsuyama, the Englishman caught fire around the turn, with a birdie at the sixth hole and then four in a row from the ninth to shoot up the leaderboard.

Hatton then picked up shots on 16, 17 and 18 to complete a bogey-free round of eight under and set the clubhouse target.

“It was a good day’s work,” he said. “The last 10 holes were great. I gave myself plenty of opportunities, and it’s always nice to see putts going in.”

Also a previous winner in 2020, Hatton edged out Ryder Cup team-mate Hovland to make the final group of three.

The Norwegian boasts top-five finishes on his previous two appearances here and, despite not capitalising on his hot start, he remains well placed at just three shots back, particularly with the volatile conditions set to continue on Sunday.

“This is a tournament I look forward to every single year,” added Hovland. “The crowds are awesome.

“It’s a great golf course, obviously a lot of history here, and I’d like to put my name on that trophy.”