Rory McIlroy edged into a two-shot lead early on day two of the BMW PGA Championship as he looked somewhere close to his brilliant best at Wentworth Club.
The 2014 champion was making his first appearance at the event since it became part of the prestigious Rolex Series, with a prize fund of seven million US dollars available to the elite field gathered in Surrey.
Conditions were once again overcast and McIlroy turned in 32 to get to eight under and lead the way from overnight leader Lucas Bjerregaard and South African pair Dean Burmester and Darren Fichardt.
Defending champion Alex Noren, Ireland's Shane Lowry and Englishman Robert Rock were then out on the course at five under.
McIlroy looked dialled-in from the off and while he missed birdie chances from inside ten feet on the first, second and third, a birdie on the par five fourth after a lovely chip saw him make his first move of the day.
A Bjerregaard bogey on the first meant there was a four-way tie at the top and McIlroy had a near miss to take the outright lead on the fifth before saving par after finding sand off the tee on the next.
A stunning approach to four feet then handed McIlroy the outright lead at the seventh, with Dane Bjerregaard dropping another shot on the third.
Kiradech Aphibarnrat held the lead late on Thursday but a seven-six finish slipped him back, and he sandwiched a bogey on the fifth with birdies on the fourth and sixth on the second morning.
Lowry also had a stuttering finish on day one, finding trees and water to surrender a closing double-bogey, but he too was recovering well with birdies on the second and fourth.
An Aphibarnrat bogey on the seventh dropped him into the large group at four under where 2016 champion Chris Wood was making a big move with birdies on the second, fifth, seventh and eighth as he turned in 31.
Bjerregaard then took advantage of the par five fourth to get back within one of the lead.
Swede Noren was playing alongside McIlroy and he had birdies on the fourth and ninth - after a brilliant approach - while Rock had four birdies and two bogeys in his first 12 holes.
Burmester and Fichardt were yet to tee off in the second round, as were the five under trio of Richard Bland, Matthew Fitzpatrick and Sam Horsfield.
