The newly revamped West Course at Wentworth Club showed its teeth on Saturday as the leaderboard closed up during the third round of the BMW PGA Championship.
An elite field had gathered in Surrey for the first of the Rolex Series events, and while they were treated to calm conditions on days one and two, an increased wind in the third round was producing a tough test.
Francesco Molinari had entered the day in a share of the lead and he was still there at six under, despite turning in one over par 36, but he had Branden Grace and Andrew Dodt for company as they both picked up shots around the turn.
Thomas Pieters was then at five under, a shot clear of Andrew Johnston and clubhouse leader Hideto Tanihara.
Italian Molinari three-putted the first to drop out of the lead, but parred his way to the turn as those around him endured a roller-coaster of an afternoon.
Grace bogeyed the first, sixth and ninth with gains on the fifth and seventh to turn in 36, but an excellent tee-shot on the par three tenth got the South African back level for the day, before he birdied the 11th.
Australian Dodt bogeyed the par five fourth, but came roaring back with gains on the eighth, 11th and 12th.
Pieters was another to three-putt the first and when he got in trouble down the left on the third to surrender a double bogey, the Belgian was three off the lead.
A stunning approach to the seventh got him back to five under and he added another birdie on the eighth before giving the shot straight back, after finding a nasty spot with his second on the ninth.
Tanihara had looked in danger of missing the cut after a 76 on a low-scoring first day, but he followed a 69 with a 67 to set the target at four under.
The Japanese turned in 33 with birdies on the second, fifth and seventh and added further gains on the tenth, 16th and 17th – with a single dropped shot on the sixth.
England’s Johnston double-bogeyed the third, but chipped in for eagle on the fourth before adding another gain on the eighth. A bogey on the tenth stalled his momentum, but a second eagle of the day on the 12th had him right in the mix before he gave the shot back.
Byeong-hun An, Kiradech Aphibarnrat, Nino Bertasio, Bradley Dredge, Maximilian Kieffer, Shane Lowry and Alex Noren were then at three under.
