Unheralded Englishman Matt Baldwin matched a tournament record to take a two-shot lead at the European Tour’s PGA Championship on 13 under par on Friday.
Less than three years ago Baldwin had to turn to shifts as a delivery driver to get through the winter months after failing to maintain his card on the DP World Tour.
But the world number 363 is now in pole position to claim the first prize of £1.15 million ($1.5 million) after adding a 66 to his opening 65 to match the 36-hole tournament record set by Paul McGinley in 2008.
“I had three or four months working at Amazon driving a van just to see me through the winter before the Challenge Tour started in 2022,” said Baldwin.
“I learned a lot from that. I learned that there are other things that I could do in life, but I also learned that I really wanted to play golf.”
British Masters winner Niklas Norgaard is Baldwin’s nearest challenger on 11 under with France’s Antoine Rozner another stroke back after firing six birdies in the last seven holes in a bogey-free 65.
Rory McIlroy lies four shots off the lead on nine under after adding a 68 to his opening 67.
The world number three came into the week on the back of a heartbreaking loss in the Irish Open.
McIlroy looked set to claim his first professional win on home Northern Irish soil at Royal County Down until costly late bogeys saw him finish a shot behind Rasmus Hojgaard.
“I wouldn’t have liked the week off to just wallow in self-pity if I hadn’t have played,” McIlroy said.
“To come back out and get straight back on the golf course and play a couple of solid rounds to give myself a chance at another really big tournament that means a lot to me, I thought it was important to do that and thankfully I have.”
Baldwin’s boyhood foursomes partner Tommy Fleetwood is also in contention at seven under, alongside his Ryder Cup team-mate Bob MacIntyre.
