Rory McIlroy has broken his silence after Patrick Reed was forced to withdraw from the BMW PGA Championship at Wentworth, with the American’s injury exit opening the door for McIlroy to close the gap in the Race to Dubai.
Reed, who entered the tournament as the Race to Dubai leader, suffered an apparent wrist injury during a disastrous second round. He was nine over par after nine holes before deciding he could not continue and was taken from the course by buggy.
McIlroy, meanwhile, responded with a superb second-round 67 to move to eight-under par and within four shots of the lead heading into the weekend.
Speaking after his round, McIlroy acknowledged the long-running rivalry between himself and Reed but made it clear that he has genuine respect for the American.
“Obviously Patrick and I have had quite the battles over years, whether it be Ryder Cup, final round in a major. Dubai Desert Classic a few years ago.”
McIlroy continued:
“He’s a great competitor and he’s played great all year. I respect him for how he’s went about it, and coming through here, he’s put his head down and done the work, and it’s actually been really good to see.”
The four-time major champion also acknowledged that Reed’s withdrawal has created an important opportunity in the season-long race.
“Unfortunately he’s pulled out this week, which gives me an opportunity to try to claw back some ground that I lost last week in Ireland.”
McIlroy added:
“This weekend is a big weekend for me to pick up a few points and make the race even tighter going into these last few weeks.”
The timing could hardly be more significant. Reed had been around 840 points ahead of McIlroy entering the BMW PGA Championship, but his withdrawal means McIlroy now has a major opportunity to reduce that advantage.
Reed had also spoken earlier in the week about his desire to battle McIlroy for the Race to Dubai crown, calling their rivalry enjoyable and saying he would not mind making McIlroy wait another year before equalling Colin Montgomerie’s record of eight Race to Dubai titles.
Now, with Reed sidelined at Wentworth, McIlroy has the chance to turn his words into action.
His second-round 67 has put him firmly into contention, and the weekend could prove crucial in the battle for European No. 1.
