One thing is starting to become clear: the Ryder Cup in Rome is not going to be Whistling Straits 2.0. The Europeans are rounding into form, and the leaderboard after round three of the BMW PGA Championship reflects just that.
Ludvig Aberg (16 under), one of Europe’s Ryder Cup rookies, has turned in rounds of 68-66-66 around Wentworth Club and leads Ryder Cupper Tommy Fleetwood (5-under 67) and Connor Syme (7-under 65) by two shots.
Aberg has been one of the hottest players on Earth over the last few months, tying for 14th at the PGA Tour’s Wyndham Championship, for fourth at the D+D Real Czech Masters and winning the European Masters in his last start.
The Swede got it going early with an eagle at the par-5 fourth and added two more circles on Nos. 7 and 8, making the turn with a 4-under 31. After trading a circle for a square at Nos. 12 and 13, Aberg birdied Nos. 15 and 18 to sign for his second consecutive 6-under 66.
BMW PGA: Full leaderboard
Fleetwood, who last tied for sixth at the Tour Championship in Atlanta, started his day with a bogey at No. 3 but got it back and then some on the next hole, draining a 13-foot eagle effort. He made four more birdies on his day and is in great position to chase down the young Aberg. The Englishman’s last worldwide win came at the 2022 Nedbank Golf Challenge.
Aaron Rai (67), Ryan Fox (66) and Callum Shinkwin (64) are tied for fourth at 13 under, Jon Rahm (66) is alone in seventh at 12 under, while Sepp Straka (69), Marcus Helligkilde (69), Tyrrell Hatton (68) and Nathan Kimsey (67) are tied for eighth at 11 under.
In all, seven members of the European Ryder Cup team are inside the top 20 in Surrey, England.
Final-round coverage of the BMW PGA will be available on Golf Channel from 7 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. ET.