Filippo Celli, Manuel Elvira joint leaders heading into final round of BMW PGA Championship

On a day when a host of players shared the lead, the playing partners both birdied the last to get to 13 under and sit one ahead of Major champion JJ Spaun, Spaniard Alejandro del Rey and American Johannes Veerman.

Rory McIlroy finished birdie-eagle to get to 11 under alongside fellow Masters champion Adam Scott, American Davis Bryant, Chilean Joaquin Niemann and Norway's Kristoffer Reitan.

Italian Celli and Spaniard Elvira carded rounds of 69 and 68 respectively and will go out together again on Sunday as they both look for a first DP World Tour win at the third Rolex Series event of the season.

Celli - the silver medallist at The 2022 Open Championship - is playing his second full season on Tour after coming through the Qualifying School in 2023 and regaining his card via the HotelPlanner Tour last year.

Sunday will be another step up for the 26-year-old who is 116th on the Race to Dubai rankings and he is determined to try and enjoy every minute.

"I can't wait, honestly, because it's going to be very good," he said. "I will try to be in the present, you know, and try to enjoy every single minute and see what happens."

He added: "I'm very happy because today it was very tough. It was windy, tricky out there. So I'm happy how I handled life's situation out there. Sometimes the wind changed a bit so it wasn't easy.

"I was very patient through the front nine because I knew that on the back nine, I could have like more chances to make some birdies. And I'm very happy that this is what I've done. So I'm proud."

Celli started with a bogey and then made ten pars in a row before taking advantage of the par-five 12th.

A long putt on the next and a smart approach into the 16th were then followed by an outrageous piece of luck on the last as his second bounced off the wood around the water and went into the bunker from where he got up and down.

Elvira - brother of three-time DP World Tour winner Nacho - is playing his third season on Tour since graduating from the HotelPlanner Tour in 2023 and has three top tens in 2026.

"I think I'm ready," he said of the chance to win one of the DP World Tour's most prestigious events. "I've been playing well the last few weeks. Obviously the results were not really coming my way but I just managed to stay patient this week and just have fun."

He added: "I'm really pleased. I played really well. I missed some tee shots and got away with some really nice pars, and when I had chances to make the birdies, I took advantage of them. Really pleased with the 68."

Elvira sandwiched a tee shot to 13 feet at the tenth with birdies at the par five fourth and 12th and while he dropped a shot on the 14th, he picked it straight back up from five feet on the next and left himself a tap-in at the last.

Reitan was the first player to make a move, although it did not look like anything spectacular was on the cards as he turned in 34, albeit with four birdies.

Two more were added on the tenth and 11th and he then finished with another five, breaking the record for a round over the West Course with 11 in a 64.