McDowell on the move

Graeme McDowell continued his remarkable comeback from injury when the third round of the BMW PGA Championship got under way in warm sunshine at Wentworth today.

On Thursday the 29-year-old went to hospital fearing than a severe attack of shin splints could wreck his summer Major plans if a stress fracture was found just above the ankle of his right leg.

The problem forced him to pull out of last week’s Irish Open just 24 hours after shooting a record 61 at County Louth, and complete rest for two days at the start of the week failed to produce a cure.

However, having been given the green light by a specialist to continue playing this weekend he bounced back from his first-round 75 to make the cut with a 71 yesterday and today he was back on the birdie trail.

Playing alongside Ernie Els, McDowell picked up three shots in the first five holes of his third round and although he ran up bogeys on the eighth and 10th, another birdie at the par-five 12 took him back to level par for the tournament.

That was still eight shots behind leader Paul Casey but McDowell has an extra personal incentive to try and achieve a top-20 finish tomorrow night.

Earlier this week, having failed to complete the Irish Open, he dropped out of the world’s top 50 for the first time since his Scottish Open victory at Loch Lomond last summer.

Having only just made the cut at two-over par last night, Els, who has a home by Wentworth’s 16th green, also made progress. After covering the first nine holes in level par he picked up birdies at the short 10th and 12th.

But the fastest mover of the early morning starters was the big hitting Finn Mikko Ilonen who moved to three under after a birdie at the second hole and an eagle at the par-five fourth.