By Canadian Press

Matteo Manassero leads by 3 at BMW PGA Championship, 11 years after winning it

Sep 21, 2024 | 9:58 AM

VIRGINIA WATER, England (AP) — Eleven years after winning the title as a 20-year-old prodigy, Matteo Manassero moved into contention to capture the prestigious BMW PGA Championship again by shooting 9-under 63 to take a three-stroke lead after the third round on Saturday.

It would cap a career revival for the 31-year-old Italian, who as a teenager was widely expected to become a golfing superstar only for his game to go into freefall — dropping Manassero onto the third-tier Alps Tour and to a world ranking of 1,705.

Back on the European tour this year, he won in South Africa in March and now is in sight of a victory over a stacked field — containing Rory McIlroy — at the tour’s flagship event.

Manassero, now ranked No. 101, pumped his fist after curling in a 12-foot putt at the last to seal a birdie-birdie-birdie finish and a back nine of 31 on the storied West Course. He made seven birdies and an eagle 3 at No. 4, and was 18 under for the tournament.

McIlroy shot 66 after getting up and down for par at No. 18 after hitting into water off his second shot. The No. 3-ranked Northern Irishman, who won the event in 2014, was tied for second place with Billy Horschel, whose round of 65 included a run of seven straight birdies — featuring holed putts totaling 130 feet — from No. 8.

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Overnight leader Matthew Baldwin, who is ranked No. 363 and was dropping off packages for Amazon two years ago, shot 71 and was alone in fourth place after a round that began in pouring rain and finished under a sunny sky outside London.

Adam Cockerill of Teulon, Man., shot a third-round 71 to trail Manassero by 10 strokes.

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AP golf: https://apnews.com/hub/golf

The Associated Press