Rory McIlroy launches X-rated blast at Wentworth chiefs after controversial late finish at BMW Championship
RORY McILROY slammed the controversial late finish at Wentworth on Friday night as a “s***show”.
The Northern Irishman, 34, birdied the final hole of his second round to make the cut at the BMW PGA Championship – with the 18th green lit up by a giant screen.
That came in virtual total darkness just before 7.30pm – with play delayed by 80 minutes in the morning due to fog.
And the farcical scenes saw FOUR groups waiting on the 18th tee to try and beat the fading light.
McIlroy, Viktor Hovland and Ludvig Aberg were the final trio to complete their rounds at Wentworth – with the second round completed on Saturday morning.
And the world No2 needed his two-putt from 45 feet under pressure and under darkened skies in Surrey to secure his place for the weekend’s action at one under par.
But the 2014 winner McIlroy hit out at the golf club’s chiefs for the shambolic ending – and the need for the artificial makeshift lighting.
He said: “It was a s***show.
“The fog obviously delayed things but I’ve never remembered having that many players on 17 and 18.
“It’s not as if they teed us off in tighter slots or anything.
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“It’s hard for me trying to play the last well and make the cut, it’s a bit of a mad dash and a scramble to get finished.
“I don’t know what you could do about that apart from less players in the field.”
McIlroy’s 18th-hole birdie ensured all 12 European Ryder Cup stars made the cut – plus their captain Luke Donald.
And it was one of those captain’s picks – McIlroy’s playing partner Aberg – that nailed three successive birdies to complete a superb six-under-par round of 66 and share the lead on -10 with fellow Swede Sebastian Soderberg.
Tommy Fleetwood and Adrian Meronk were part of a four-way tie for joint third, one shot back.
But there was more drama elsewhere on the course during round two when Thomas Bjorn got into an altercation with a drunken fan, going behind the ropes to confront the spectator.
And Bob MacIntyre – who will be a team-mate of McIlroy’s in Rome in a fortnight’s time – was also involved in unsavoury scenes.
One disgruntled supporter had bet on the Scot to be beaten by one of his playing partners, Justin Rose or Matt Fitzpatrick, and made his feelings clear to him late in the round.
MacIntyre said: “I was getting a bit of stick there coming up 17. There’s obviously gambling going on in the game of golf nowadays and some people ride a lot of money on it – and, unfortunately, he lost today.
“He told me the amount he had riding on it.
“It’s all about gambling nowadays and I said to Greg [Milne, his caddie] walking to the 18th tee, ‘Be switched on as this guy could throw anything at us here, so keep an eye on him and do your job.'”