Matt Baldwin Leads BMW PGA with Record-Breaking Start

Matt Baldwin leads the BMW PGA Championship by two shots after he equaled the tournament record for the first two rounds at Wentworth, Surrey. Baldwin, 38, followed his opening 65 with a second-round 66, matching Paul McGinley’s halfway record from 2008 with a 13-under-par total. Despite once working as a delivery driver and nearly quitting golf, Baldwin now tops the leaderboard.

Reflecting on his time as a driver, he said, “I learned that there are other things I could do in life but I also learned that I really wanted to play golf.” Denmark’s Niklas Norgaard sits in second at 11 under par while France’s Antoine Rozner trails just one shot further back in third. Rory McIlroy, bouncing back from his narrow Irish Open defeat, sits tied for fourth at nine under after adding a 68 to his opening-round 67.

McIlroy stressed the importance of recovering after his Irish Open heartbreak, saying, “I thought it was important to come back out, play well, and give myself a chance at another big tournament.” Play stopped for 77 minutes due to the threat of lightning, but Baldwin holed a 25-foot par putt on the 16th just before the suspension. Baldwin, who grew up playing junior golf with fellow Englishman Tommy Fleetwood, holds a six-shot lead over him.

Fleetwood is currently tied at seven under par. As Matt Baldwin aims for a career-defining victory, McIlroy remains in contention, determined to rebound from his recent near-miss. With two rounds remaining, the tournament promises an exciting weekend as both Baldwin and McIlroy seek to make their mark at Wentworth.