Ludvig Åberg and Tom Vaillant took the joint lead at the BMW PGA Championship after a thrilling first round at Wentworth Club. Both players finished eight under par on Thursday before play was suspended due to darkness.
The opening day began early but faced a long weather delay, which pushed the final groups into the evening. Several players could not complete their rounds and will return on Friday morning to finish. Despite the interruptions, Åberg and Vaillant produced standout performances that set a high standard for the rest of the field.
Vaillant made an electric start in the first group out on the West Course. He turned at two under and then caught fire on the back nine. The Frenchman made six birdies in his final seven holes and signed for a 64. His ten total birdies marked one of his best rounds this season. He entered the event ranked 124th in the Race to Dubai Rankings and needs strong results to secure his playing rights for next year. Just two weeks ago, he tied for 17th in Switzerland with back-to-back rounds of 64 and 66 on the weekend.
Åberg matched him with a powerful round of his own. The Swede opened with a bogey but quickly recovered. He racked up nine birdies over the next 17 holes to join Vaillant at eight under. Åberg, who will make his second Ryder Cup appearance for Team Europe in two weeks, stayed sharp through difficult conditions. Lightning forced a break of over an hour while he stood on the 18th hole. When play resumed, he returned to sink his third straight birdie to close his round.
Casey Jarvis kept himself close with a surge at the finish. The South African shot seven under after closing his round with five straight birdies. His hot putter pushed him into solo third, just one shot behind the leaders.
Adrian Otaegui from the United Arab Emirates also stayed in touch. He posted a five under par 67 and sits three back. The 32-year-old is ranked 138th in the Race to Dubai Rankings and needs points to regain his playing rights for 2026. Thursday’s round gave him an early boost in that chase.
Several big names remain in the hunt. Matt Fitzpatrick, Richie Ramsay, Antoine Rozner, and Joakim Lagergren are all at six under, just two shots off the lead. Rory McIlroy, the 2014 BMW PGA Championship winner and current Race to Dubai Rankings leader, opened with a three under par round and is tied for 33rd. He will need a strong Friday to move into contention.
Play stopped at 19:30 local time because of darkness. Later starters will return to finish their first rounds at 07:45 on Friday morning. Round two tee times remain the same, with the first group scheduled to start at 06:40.
With the leaderboard packed and several top players still on the course, Friday promises more drama. Åberg and Vaillant have set the pace, but many challengers are closing in as the BMW PGA Championship moves into its second day.
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