Celli and Elvira Lead at Wentworth, but McIlroy Will Move First
Filippo Celli’s second shot on the 18th struck the wooden border beside the water and kicked into a bunker. He got up-and-down for birdie. Manuel Elvira followed with a tap-in birdie of his own.
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The two closing 4s put Celli and Elvira at 13 under and sent them back out together in Sunday’s final pairing at the BMW PGA Championship. Neither has won on the DP World Tour. Both will begin the last round with eight players no more than two shots away.
JJ Spaun, Alejandro del Rey and Johannes Veerman are one back. Kristoffer Reitan, Davis Bryant, Joaquin Niemann, Rory McIlroy and Adam Scott are two behind. The top 20 are separated by four shots, and 25 players are within five.
The final pairing gives Celli and Elvira the latest tee time, not a quiet scoreboard. Every player within two shots will tee off before them. McIlroy and Scott will have been on the West Course for 40 minutes when the leaders reach the first tee.
| Pos. | Player | R1 | R2 | R3 | Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| T1 | Filippo Celli | 68 | 66 | 69 | -13 |
| T1 | Manuel Elvira | 69 | 66 | 68 | -13 |
| T3 | JJ Spaun | 70 | 66 | 68 | -12 |
| T3 | Alejandro del Rey | 69 | 71 | 64 | -12 |
| T3 | Johannes Veerman | 68 | 72 | 64 | -12 |
| T6 | Kristoffer Reitan | 71 | 70 | 64 | -11 |
| T6 | Davis Bryant | 68 | 70 | 67 | -11 |
| T6 | Joaquin Niemann | 71 | 67 | 67 | -11 |
| T6 | Rory McIlroy | 69 | 67 | 69 | -11 |
| T6 | Adam Scott | 67 | 67 | 71 | -11 |
Celli’s Round Changed at the 12th
Celli bogeyed the first and then wrote down 10 consecutive pars. He was still one over for the day when he reached the par-5 12th. Birdies there and at the 13th changed the round, and he added another at the 16th before the unlikely finish at the last.
Celli’s finish will be remembered for the bounce at 18, but the 10 pars after his opening bogey were just as important. He avoided a second mistake, then made four birdies over his final seven holes to sign for 69.
“I was very patient through the front nine because I knew that on the back nine, I could have like more chances to make some birdies,” Celli said. “And I’m very happy that this is what I’ve done. So I’m proud.”
Celli came to Wentworth 116th in the Race to Dubai Rankings. The 26-year-old is in his second full DP World Tour season after regaining his card through the HotelPlanner Tour last year. On Saturday, 10 straight pars bought him enough time for the back nine to change his round.
Elvira Erased His Only Bogey at Once
Elvira made five birdies in a 68. He picked up shots at the fourth, 10th and 12th, made his only bogey at the 14th and answered from five feet at the next. His approach to the 18th left the short putt that tied Celli.
The card was clean apart from the 14th, although the golf was not always easy. Elvira missed tee shots and had to save pars. Those recoveries kept one loose swing from becoming a two-hole slide, and his birdie at the 15th restored the shot immediately.
“I think I’m ready,” Elvira said. “I’ve been playing well the last few weeks. Obviously the results were not really coming my way but I just managed to stay patient this week and just have fun.”
Elvira has three top-10 finishes this season and is in his third year on Tour after graduating from the HotelPlanner Tour in 2023. His first victory would arrive at one of the circuit’s biggest events. To get it, he may need the same response he produced Saturday: take the bogey, then get the shot back before it becomes a trend.
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Celli and Elvira are both seeking their first DP World Tour victories. McIlroy and Scott start 40 minutes earlier, and all eight players immediately behind the leaders will be on the course before the final pairing begins.
McIlroy and Scott Get a 40-Minute Head Start
McIlroy was eight under with two holes to play and outside the nearest group of challengers. A birdie at the 17th and an eagle at the 18th changed that. His 69 moved him to 11 under and into the 12:25 p.m. pairing with Scott, 40 minutes ahead of Celli and Elvira.
Scott also created his place in that pairing at the finish, closing birdie-birdie. He has called the BMW PGA Championship one of the three tournaments he most wants to win outside the majors. Both players can put numbers on the board before the co-leaders hit their opening shots.
“I have a big opportunity tomorrow on both fronts,” McIlroy said. “I’d love to win this tournament again. It’s been a long time, 12 years.”
McIlroy is chasing a second BMW PGA title and a record-tying fifth Rolex Series victory. He is one of six major champions among the top 20. Spaun sits at 12 under, while Ryan Fox is three back and Matt Fitzpatrick and Aaron Rai are four behind.
McIlroy and Scott are only part of the problem for the leaders. Reitan made a West Course-record 11 birdies in a 64. Del Rey and Veerman also shot 64 and share third with Spaun. The last five pairings contain all 10 players within two shots of the lead.
Chasers Will Need to Post a Number
Both -11
Both -11
-12 and -11
Both -12
Both -13
Saturday showed how little protection a lead provides at Wentworth. Halfway leader Ryan Gerard dropped four shots on the front nine and signed for 75. Reitan, del Rey and Veerman went the other way with 64s. Celli and Elvira each birdied the 18th to finish at 13 under.
McIlroy and Scott tee off at 12:25 p.m. Bryant and Niemann follow at 12:35. Spaun and Reitan start at 12:45, followed by del Rey and Veerman at 12:55.
Celli and Elvira go last at 1:05. Their Saturday cards give them two ways to handle the early scores. Celli showed he could wait through 10 straight pars before his run arrived. Elvira showed he could answer his only bogey on the next hole.
By the time they reach the first tee, one of those eight chasers could be at 13 under or better. Celli and Elvira will start with the lead they earned Saturday, but they may not start with it alone.
PGA of America Golf Professional Brendon Elliott is an award-winning coach and golf writer who serves as Athlon Sports Senior Golf Writer. Read his recent “The Starter” on RG.org, where he is their Lead Golf Writer. To stay updated on all of his latest work, sign up for his newsletter or visit his MuckRack Profile.
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This story was originally published September 19, 2026 at 6:14 PM.
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