Rory McIlroy shuns media after horror finish to round 2 at BMW PGA Championship

Rory McIlroy declined to speak to reporters after making a mess of the final hole for the second day running at the BMW PGA Championship.

McIlroy had earlier recovered from a horror start to his second round at Wentworth to get within six shots of the lead, but he paid the price for a huge mistake at the last as he stuttered to a level-par 72.

The Masters champion began day two on 3-under after his opening 69 which he capped with a bogey-6 after finding water with his second shot into 18.

And after five holes of his second round, McIlroy looked in danger of missing the halfway cut as he bogeyed the 3rd, 4th and 5th, but he started to claw his way back with a 25-foot birdie putt at the 8th.

McIlroy's mood lifted further after the turn as he made four birdies in five holes to get to 5-under for the tournament, but he was back in scrambling mode over the final three holes.

He did well to save par from just inside 10 feet at 16 after dumping a poor approach from the fairway into a greenside bunker, and he then flirted with the out-of-bounds at the 17th when he carved his drive way right.

The 2014 champion was able to punch out and set himself up with a decent birdie chance with a nice third to the fringe, but his eight-foot putt missed the target.

McIlroy's issues off the tee continued at the 18th, where he blocked a 3-wood out-of-bounds into a resident's back yard and, although he split the fairway with his second dig, he could not find the green with his fourth shot.

After his pitch pulled up six feet short, McIlroy's putt for bogey lipped out and he looked a figure of frustration as he left the green with playing-partners and Ryder Cup team-mates Shane Lowry and Jon Rahm.

McIlroy, who did not birdie any of the par-5s on day two, signed his card and bypassed reporters as he headed straight for the clubhouse, as did Lowry after the Irishman bogeyed three of the last five holes in a disappointing 74.

Lowry's bogey-6 at the last saw him slip to 3-under alongside McIlroy, safely in for the weekend with the cut expected to fall at 2-under, while Rahm also declined interviews despite moving to 4-under after a 69 which he concluded with back-to-back birdies.

There was better news for European Ryder Cup captain Luke Donald, however, as Viktor Hovland continued his remarkable run of scoring at Wentworth as he fired a 66 to claim the early clubhouse lead on 11-under.

The Norwegian eagled the 18th for the second day running, holing a 45-foot putt from the back of the green, and he is now 40-under par for his last nine rounds over the West Course.

"I'm super happy to be where I'm at and scoring-wise, it's incredible to be honest with you," said Hovland, who has dropped only one shot in 36 holes. "I really am struggling off the tee, and I'm just trying to do whatever I can just to put it in the fairway. 

"I'm trying not to hit it off line and in the trees, and so far, it's been good, and from there I've been amazing. But I do want to play the game a little bit more stress-free."