VIRGINIA WATER, England — Alex Noren is stealing the spotlight from Europe’s Ryder Cup stars at the BMW PGA Championship. The Swede, who’ll serve as one of Luke Donald’s vice captains at Bethpage Black, drained a 17-foot putt at No. 18 to complete a spectacular birdie-birdie-eagle finish, joining Adrien Saddier atop the leaderboard after three rounds.
Noren, the 2017 champion at Wentworth, fired a 6-under 66 while Saddier, ranked No. 120 in the world, birdied three of his last four holes for a 7-under 65. They’re tied at 15-under 201, two shots clear of Tyrrell Hatton.
Hatton’s 64 was Saturday’s best round among the 11 Ryder Cup players in the field. Viktor Hovland sits alone in fourth at 12 under after posting a 71.
The rest of Europe’s Ryder Cup contingent isn’t faring quite as well. Ludvig Åberg (73) and Matt Fitzpatrick (69) are tied for sixth at 10 under, while Rory McIlroy has struggled to find the form that carried him to victory at last week’s Irish Open. McIlroy’s 70 left him tied for 53rd at 5 under.
Tommy Fleetwood, fresh off his FedExCup triumph, shot 71 and sits at just 3 under for the tournament. Meanwhile, Hideki Matsuyama and Justin Rose, who held the top two spots after 36 holes, both tumbled down the leaderboard with matching 76s—Saturday’s highest scores.
Noren Finding His Form
Noren knows what it takes to win at Wentworth. His 2017 victory here included a blistering final-round 62, and he’s hitting his stride at the perfect time. Two weeks ago, he captured the British Masters for his 11th European tour title and first win in seven years. That followed a strong T3 finish at the Wyndham Championship in early August.
Despite this hot streak, Noren didn’t earn a captain’s pick for the Ryder Cup team. Now he’s on the verge of outplaying many of the stars he’ll be supporting from the sidelines at Bethpage.
“It’s going to be so much fun,” Noren said about Sunday’s final round. “I love this.”
Saddier, meanwhile, has been here before. The Frenchman led after three rounds at the Irish Open but closed with a 74 to finish tied for fifth. He’s now positioned for the biggest win of his career, adding to the Italian Open title he claimed in June.
“I think it will be another day at the office,” Saddier said. “Just focus on myself and my game. Try to hit a lot of fairways and greens, and we’ll see if the putts drop tomorrow.”
