01첼리와 엘비라의 깜짝 선두, 웬트워스에서 펼쳐지는 불꽃 튀는 우승 경쟁
필리포 첼리(이탈리아)와 마누엘 엘비라(스페인)가 DP 월드투어의 권위 있는 대회인 BMW PGA 챔피언십 셋째 날 공동 선두로 도약하며 생애 첫 투어 우승의 기회를 잡았습니다. 영국 웬트워스 클럽에서 열린 3라운드에서 두 선수는 나란히 마지막 홀 버디를 기록하며 중간 합계 13언더파를 작성했습니다. 2022년 디 오픈 실버 메달리스트 출신인 첼리와 투어 베테랑 나초 엘비라의 동생인 마누엘 엘비라는 롤렉스 시리즈라는 큰 무대에서 깜짝 활약을 펼치며 최종일 챔피언 조에서 맞대결을 펼치게 되었습니다.
하지만 리더보드 상단에는 세계적인 강호들이 즐비해 있어 한 치 앞을 내다볼 수 없는 상황입니다. 메이저 챔피언인 로리 매킬로이는 마지막 17번 홀 버디와 18번 홀 이글이라는 환상적인 마무리로 중간 합계 11언더파를 기록, 선두를 2타 차로 압박했습니다. 매킬로이와 함께 아담 스콧, 호아킨 니만 등 톱 클래스 선수들이 대거 추격권에 포진해 있어 최종 라운드에서 거센 반격이 예상됩니다.
이날은 특히 기록적인 스코어가 쏟아지며 웬트워스 클럽을 뜨겁게 달궜습니다. 노르웨이의 크리스토퍼 레이탄은 하루에만 11개의 버디를 몰아치며 64타를 기록, 코스 레코드를 경신하는 기염을 토했습니다. 또한 알레한드로 델 레이와 요하네스 비어먼 역시 각각 8언더파 64타를 몰아치며 선두에 1타 뒤진 공동 3위 그룹에 합류해 우승권 경쟁에 가세했습니다.
현재 선두와 5타 차 이내에 무려 25명의 선수가 밀집해 있어, 이번 BMW PGA 챔피언십 우승컵의 향방은 안개속입니다. 첫 승을 노리는 신예들과 풍부한 경험을 앞세운 베테랑들의 대결은 대회 마지막 날 절정에 달할 것으로 보입니다. 웬트워스의 까다로운 후반 홀들에서 누가 평정심을 유지하며 롤렉스 시리즈의 왕좌에 오를지 전 세계 골프 팬들의 이목이 집중되고 있습니다.
02Original (English) — DP World Tour
Filippo Celli and Manuel Elvira will share the lead heading into the final round of the BMW PGA Championship but the duo have a high-class leaderboard breathing down their necks at Wentworth Club.
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On a day when a host of players shared the lead, the playing partners both birdied the last to get to 13 under and sit one ahead of Major champion JJ Spaun, Spaniard Alejandro del Rey and American Johannes Veerman.
Rory McIlroy finished birdie-eagle to get to 11 under alongside fellow Masters champion Adam Scott, American Davis Bryant, Chilean Joaquin Niemann and Norway's Kristoffer Reitan.
Italian Celli and Spaniard Elvira carded rounds of 69 and 68 respectively and will go out together again on Sunday as they both look for a first DP World Tour win at the third Rolex Series event of the season.
Celli - the Silver Medallist at The 2022 Open Championship - is playing his second full season on Tour after coming through the Qualifying School in 2023 and regaining his card via the HotelPlanner Tour last year.
Sunday will be another step up for the 26-year-old who is 116th on the Race to Dubai Rankings Delievered by DP World and he is determined to try and enjoy every minute.
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"I can't wait, honestly, because it's going to be very good," he said. "I will try to be in the present, you know, and try to enjoy every single minute and see what happens."
He added: "I'm very happy because today it was very tough. It was windy, tricky out there. So I'm happy how I handled life's situation out there. Sometimes the wind changed a bit so it wasn't easy.
"I was very patient through the front nine because I knew that on the back nine, I could have like more chances to make some birdies. And I'm very happy that this is what I've done. So I'm proud."
Celli started with a bogey and then made ten pars in a row before taking advantage of the par-five 12th.
A long putt on the next and a smart approach into the 16th were then followed by an outrageous piece of luck on the last as his second bounced off the wood around the water and went into the bunker from where he got up and down.
Elvira - brother of three-time DP World Tour winner Nacho - is playing his third season on Tour snce graduating from the HotelPlanner Tour in 2023 and has three top tens in 2026.
"I think I'm ready," he said of the chance to win one of the DP World Tour's most prestigious events. "I've been playing well the last few weeks. Obviously the results were not really coming my way but I just managed to stay patient this week and just have fun."
He added: "I'm really pleased. I played really well. I missed some tee shots and got away with some really nice pars, and when I had chances to make the birdies, I took advantage of them. Really pleased with the 68."
Elvira sandwiched a tee shot to 13 feet at the tenth with birdies at the par five fourth and 12th and while he dropped a shot on the 14th, he picked it straight back up from five feet on the next and left himself a tap-in at the last.
Reitan was the first player to make a move, although it did not look like anything spectacular was on the cards as he turned in 34, albeit with four birdies. Two more were added on the tenth and 11th and he then finished with another five, breaking the record for a round over the West Course with 11 in a 64.
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That left him one shot behind overnight leader Ryan Gerard but with the American dropping four shots on the front nine en route to a 75, two more rounds of 64 saw him replaced at the summit.
First it was Del Rey, who picked up shots on the fourth, fifth and seventh to turn in 32 and he added gains on the tenth, 11th, 13th, 14th and last in a bogey-free effort.
But he was alone at the top for just a matter of moments as in the group behind, Veerman was completing a blemish-free round of his own.
After birdies at the second and third, he eagled the fourth from 22 feet and then broke a run of eight pars with a birdie on the 13th. Another eagle from 13 feet on the 17th had him within one and a gain on the last put him in a share.
American Spaun carded a 68 with five birdies and a single bogey while McIlroy signed for a 69, Bryant and Niemann recorded rounds of 67 and Scott went round in 71.
There were 25 players within five shots of the lead including Major champions Ryan Fox, Aaron Rai and Matt Fitzpatrick.
Report
Ryan Gerard carded a brilliant bogey-free round of 65 to take a two-shot lead into the weekend at the BMW PGA Championship.