Rory rules the roost with two rounds to go

Rory McIlroy will take a one-shot lead into Saturday’s third round at the PGA Championship promising to keep his foot on the accelerator as he seeks to close out back-to-back major victories.

World number one McIlroy, also chasing a third win in a row, posted an early four-under-par second-round 67 on Friday to move to nine under and then sat back and saw only Jason Day of Australia and American Jim Furyk narrow the two-shot advantage he enjoyed when he took the clubhouse lead some five hours earlier.

Day, who has struggled most of this season with a left thumb injury and withdrew from last week's WGC-Bridgestone during the third round due to dizziness, birdied the par-five 18th to card a six-under 65 and move to eight under par and Furyk followed suit at the last for a 68.