McIlroy's Saturday Eagles Put Him Within Reach at Wentworth

Rory McIlroy closed the third round of the BMW PGA Championship at Wentworth with consecutive eagles, moving to 11 under par and within two shots of the lead heading into Sunday's final round.

What happened in McIlroy's third round?

McIlroy played his first 11 holes in one over par on Saturday before making a birdie at the 12th. He eagled the par-5 17th, then capped the round with a 230-yard 4-iron approach to a few feet on the par-5 18th for a tap-in eagle. The finish left him at 11 under for the tournament, two shots behind co-leaders Filippo Celli and Manuel Elvira, who rank 358th and 294th in the Official World Golf Ranking.

McIlroy opened the week with rounds of 69 and 67. A win Sunday would be his second BMW PGA Championship title; he last won the event 12 years ago.

What's at stake in the Race to Dubai?

McIlroy entered the week second in the Race to Dubai standings, nearly 1,000 points behind leader Patrick Reed, who has won twice this season. Reed withdrew from the BMW PGA Championship on Friday because of injury. The tournament carries 9,000 Race to Dubai points, and a solo runner-up finish would be enough for McIlroy to move ahead of Reed in the standings. An eighth Race to Dubai title would tie the record held by Colin Montgomerie.

What does Wentworth mean to McIlroy?

McIlroy first visited Wentworth as a 10-year-old, watching the World Match Play with his parents, and now owns a house on the estate. He has won the BMW PGA Championship there once before and has played the course regularly throughout his career.

A closing eagle at Wentworth turned a shaky Saturday into a two-shot chance at both a title and the points lead.

"I have a big opportunity tomorrow on both front," McIlroy said after his round.