| -12 S Lowry (Ire), M Fitzpatrick (Eng); -11 T Hatton (Eng); -9 V Perez (Fra); -8 A Arnaus (Spa), G Forrest (Sco), JB Hansen (Den); -7 E Pepperell (Eng), S Hend (Aus) |
| Selected others: -6 P Reed (US); -5 T Fleetwood (Eng), I Poulter (Eng), A Johnston (Eng); -2 D Willett (Eng); -1 J Rose (Eng), G McDowell (NI) |
Open champion Shane Lowry and Ryder Cup player Matt Fitzpatrick share the lead at the halfway stage of the BMW PGA Championship at Wentworth.
The Irishman and Englishman both carded seven-under 65s to get to 12 under.
In cool afternoon conditions, joint overnight leader Tyrrell Hatton added a 67 to his opening 66 to sit 11 under.
World number nine Patrick Reed’s 68 left him six under, Tommy Fleetwood is one further back after a 68, but Justin Rose slipped to one under with a 75.
Fitzpatrick, one off the lead after day one, began his round from the ninth and followed a birdie on the second by holing out from a bunker for another on the third, before chipping in from the back of the fourth green for an eagle.
At nine under for his round with two to play, the world number 20 was eyeing both Alex Noren’s course record of 62 and Paul McGinley’s 2008 tournament best of 13 under for the lowest opening 36 holes, but he found water with his approach to his final hole and took a double bogey.
The 2014 runner-up Lowry, who only decided to play in this year’s event on Sunday, wielded an old putter he “whipped out of the cupboard” on Monday to good effect as he birdied the last from 30 feet.
World number 15 Hatton dropped a shot at his opening hole but chipped in from the fringe grass at the 15th and birdied the two closing par fives.
Playing partner Reed, the Race to Dubai leader, failed to birdie either of the final two holes and is in a share of 10th place.
Ian Poulter, hampered by back spasms on day one, eagled the 18th for the second day running but dropped three shots in his final two holes and is five under.
A chilly afternoon with regular showers made scoring more difficult for the later starters on the West course, but Scotland’s Grant Forrest posted six birdies in the space of eight holes as his 67 took him to eight under.
Defending champion Danny Willett returned a second successive 71, while Northern Ireland’s Graeme McDowell rolled in a birdie at the last to reach one under and ensure his participation for the weekend.
England’s David Howell, the 2006 champion, made a hole-in-one on the 14th in the morning sunshine as his seven-iron from 184 yards took one bounce before finding the cup.
