Justin Rose was relishing the challenge of knowing only a win will do as he continued to battle it out at the top of the leaderboard at the 2021 BMW PGA Championship.
The home favourite has spoken of how he has dreamt of winning this event since he was a boy but he has plenty of extra incentives this week at Wentworth Golf Club.
A victory is the only result that will give him any chance of automatically qualifying for Padraig Harrington's Ryder Cup team, while lifting the trophy on Sunday would also make the Major Champion a three time Rolex Series winner.
After a bogey free 67 on day one, Rose got up and down on the last in round two for a closing birdie and a 68 that moved him to nine under, three shots off the lead.
"It's almost a good scenario for me," he said. "It's not like if I finish third or fifth - if there was another option in play it would be maybe distracting. It's really not distracting.
"I'm trying to win this tournament anyway and trying to get in the Ryder Cup anyway. It's one and the same objective."
He added: "I had a lot more birdie chances. I had a lot yesterday but the putter was just a little bit off today and I had to fight that a little bit and had to make a few little adjustments with my posture, I felt, coming in.
"To be honest, I made a little putt on 15, momentum, and made one on 18. Hopefully I righted the ship and can ride that into the weekend. But I've put myself in a great position now."
Rose is not leading the home challenge, with Laurie Canter just one shot off the lead after a 66.
"I just played pretty solid, really," he said. "Hit it pretty well off the tee in the correct spots and into the greens, just a question of being patient and getting the putter to work for you, which it did today.
"It's great. I've come here and watched this event like a lot of the guys that live in this area, so it's great. Just keep doing the same stuff and see what happens."
