Willett shares lead on day 2 at BMW PGA Championship

DANNY WILLETT played the front nine at Wentworth in 29 shots as he threatened to run away with the BMW PGA championship. Thankfully for all concerned, he played the back nine like a mere mortal on the second day of the European Tour's flagship event, being contested without Rory McIlroy and Justin Rose.

Had Willett continued the way he began, the Masters champion might well have built an unassailable lead with 36 holes still to play. And no matter how much we enjoy watching a golfer at the peak of his powers, nobody really enjoys a one-horse race.

However, by the close of play Willett had been joined at the top of the leaderboard on 10 under par by Scott Hend, of Australia, and YE Yang, of South Korea.

Willett made a spectacular start on a glorious spring morning. He safely parred the first and second holes, and then birdied the third, fourth, fifth, sixth, eighth and nine holes. At that stage he was 12 under par and disappearing over the horizon. But then the engine began to stutter. A shot went at the 10th, but he got it back with a wonderful birdie two at the 14th before bogeys at the 15th, 16th and 17th. A birdie at the last steadied the ship but he wasn't happy about taking 39 blows to cover the back nine.

However, after his final-round collapse at the Irish Open, Willett could scarcely complain about completing the first 36 holes in 10 under par after rounds of 66 and 68. It is a measure of the progress he has made that he was disappointed with a 68.

"I played great most of the day and then chucked a couple of horrid shots in there and it was nice to make birdie at the last after composing myself quite nicely," said Willett. "It was still not quite the back nine I was hoping for but ten under par, you'd have taken it at the beginning of the day.

"This place plays hard when the wind is swirling around. You'd like as much time as possible to double-check your numbers and make sure you're happy with what you've got. A couple of shots out there I hit a little bit too quickly and got the wind a little bit wrong, but you can't blame anything when you hit a couple of bad shots."

And his mood would only have improved as he put his feet up and watched the afternoon challengers struggle to catch him. Indeed, most of them lost ground in perfect scoring conditions.

Dutchman Joost Luiten, who opened with a 65, could only manage a 74 to trail Willett by five after also taking 39 to cover the back nine. Luke Donald, who opened with a 68, and spoke with huge optimism about his chances, struggled all day and eventually finished where he started, on four under. 

As the day progressed, Willett's 68 remained the best score until Jorge Campillo, of Spain, bettered it with a 67 to move to six under par. Campillo has already had six top 20 finishes this season and it surely won't be long before he improves on his best performance, tied fourth at the Maybank Malaysian Open in February. Rafa Cabrera Bello, the most improved player in Europe in 2016, continued his progress with a 68 that took him to five under.

Lee Westwood improved 17 places despite only adding a 70 to his opening 71. His round included an eagle at the par five 12th. At three under, he trailed Willett by seven shots.

Hend was the man most likely to catch Willett, especially after picking up birdies at the second and fourth, but he dropped one at the ninth and a man who always struggles to control his volcanic temperament found himself hanging on to remain in contention. He drew level with birdies at the 12th and 13th, but gave them both back with bogeys at the 15th and 16th. There was steam coming out of his ears when he missed a short birdie putt at the 17th, but he produced a brilliant putt on the final green for an eagle three to finish the day level with Willett. 

They had been joined by Yang, the 2009 US PGA champion. Yang, still the only Asian to win a major, eagled the 12th and birdied the 14th to join Willett and Hend on 10 under. They were one ahead of Jaco Van Zyl, the smooth-swinging South African, who had rounds of 67 and 68. Yang took six on the 17th after a poor third shot and a dreadful chip but birdied the last for a 69.

Among those who missed the cut were Shane Lowry, Jamie Donaldson, Thorbjorn Olesen, David Howell and Matteo Manassero.

Image Credits: Kevin Diss (Golf Course Photography)

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