Rory McIlroy hopes to land some early blows and reel in leader Matteo Manassero as they battle for their second BMW PGA titles at Wentworth on Sunday.
The Holywood star succeeded the Italian as champion in 2014.
But while he shot a bogey-free 66 on moving day, he finds himself three strokes adrift of the Verona native, who hit a sensational nine-under 63 to lead on 18-under-par from the Holywood star and American Billy Horschel.
“Since I won here in 2014, I’ve had a few good chances I’ve let slip by,” said McIlroy, who found water at the 18th as he attempted to make eagle but made a clutch 10-footer for par to Manassero’s closing birdie to remain in touch.
“I’ve given myself another chance to win this championship. I’m basically a resident at Wentworth now. Building a house here, too. I love it here. It would be amazing to get my name on the trophy again.”
It won’t be a two-horse race as 2021 champion Horschel shot 65, reeling off seven birdies in a row from the eighth in a fantastic putting display.
But McIlroy, who planned to attend Saturday night’s world heavyweight bout between Anthony Joshua and Daniel Dubois, believes he will have a chance to make amends for last week’s Irish Open near miss if he can make a fast start and land some early punches.
“Yeah, I don’t have to come from seven back tomorrow, just three,” he said of his comeback win in 2014.
“It’s still a tough task, especially with how good he’s playing. But if I get off to a fast start, it’s game on.”
He added: “Matteo is playing very well. Going to need to go out and shoot something just as good, if not better, tomorrow to try to get the job done.”
After his near misses in the US Open, the Olympics and the Irish Open, he’s reluctant to say he’s due a win. But he’s certainly keen.
“I haven’t won since May but given myself plenty of chances,” he said. “I’m due, but that doesn’t mean it’s necessarily going to happen.
“I’ve always liked being in this position, a couple back, trying to get off to a fast start. Hopefully, I can do that and put some pressure on early doors.”
While he said at Royal County Down that he was getting used to disappointments, he’s also confident in his ability to bounce back from adversity.
“I think it’s been a familiar story with my career,” McIlroy said. “I have setbacks, and I usually come back pretty well from them. Some are harder than others, obviously, but I think in this game, you have to be resilient.
“You have to understand and recognise that you’re going to lose a lot more than you win, and you have to be okay with that and you have to accept that. I’ve definitely been on that accepting side this year, but it’s good to be back in the mix.”
McIlroy felt his par saves at the second and third were important and he got his round up and running with a magnificent eagle three at the fourth, where he hit a 205-yard approach to five feet.
He then closed to within a shot of the lead at the seventh, perfectly judging the break on his slick, left-to-right sliding 12-footer.
When he rolled in a 20-footer for a two at the 10th, he was tied for the lead with overnight leader Matthew Baldwin on 13-under.
They were quickly joined at the top by Manassero, who followed a birdie at the second and an eagle at the fourth with another birdie at the 11th to go four-under for the day.
But while the Italian also birdied the 12th to move to the top on 14-under, McIlroy followed him in from seven feet to leave them a shot clear of Baldwin and Horschel.
The American made it a three-way tie for the lead on 14-under at the 13th when he brushed in a 35-footer for his sixth birdie on the trot.
The birdie-fest continued at the short 14th, where Horschel followed in Manassero for a two and his seventh birdie in a row to leave them one ahead of Baldwin and McIlroy, who missed his 11-footer.
Manassero and Baldwin separated themselves at the top, with birdies at the 15th and 14th, respectively.
But the Italian then made it five birdies in seven holes at the 17th to lead by two shots on 17-under from Baldwin and playing partner McIlroy, whose 18-footer for eagle failed to drop.
Manassero’s closing birdie extended his lead to three, and after almost quitting the game in 2021, he’s looking forward to what could be a dream Sunday.
“I know what I’m going to face tomorrow, and it’s great position to be in,” Manassero said. “But I always try to look at how I can go out there and feel nice, feel good with myself towards the task I’m going to have to face.
“It will not be an easy task. Golf was great to me today but I will see about tomorrow.
“I will take everything in hand and when I go out tomorrow, I will make the most out of Sunday.”
Padraig Harrington is the next best of the Irish after a brilliant, bogey-free 66 left him tied for 21st on eight-under.
The Dubliner birdied the 18th on Friday to make the cut on the mark and he took advantage of rain-softened conditions, knocking in birdies at the 12th, 17th and 18th before picking up three more on the way home at the fourth, fifth and eighth.
Tom McKibbin and Shane Lowry were a shot further back in tied 25th on six-under.
Lowry had a quiet day, making three birdies and three bogeys before he chipped in for birdie at the 17th and a second successive 71, while McKibbin had six birdies and a double bogey at the short second (his 11th) in a 68.