Updates
Course record watch!
Forgive us for sounding like a broken record: Justin Thomas just made birdie. Again.
It’s his ninth of the day. Through 14 holes. With zero bogeys. The course record is 62 (Tom Hoge two years ago), and it’s in serious danger.
JT makes ANOTHER birdie
Justin Thomas is in vintage mode at TPC Sawgrass. He makes the par-3 13th his EIGHTH birdie of the day, putting him a shot clear of the 1 under projected cutline … and suddenly knocking on the door of contention?
Rai makes mess of 17, down to 2 under
Aaron Rai was two strokes off the lead after Round 1, but it’s been a tough go of it on Friday: A triple-bogey on 17 — after, obviously, finding the water — has him down to 2 under, nine strokes back.
JT making a run at the weekend
Justin Thomas shot a brutal 6-over 78 in Round 1, but six birdies through 11 holes Friday has him fighting for the weekend.
The projected cutline is 1 under. He’s at even par.
Last year’s runner-up withdraws
Wyndham Clark has withdrawn from The Players Championship with a neck injury after nine holes on Friday.
Clark, last year’s runner-up, shot a 4-over 40 on the front nine after an even-par Round 1. The projected cutline is 1 under, so Clark would’ve needed to catch fire on the back nine to see the weekend anyway — but he won’t have the chance to do so.
Spieth, being Spieth, punches out lefty
You never know what you’ll get when you watch Jordan Spieth play golf, but you know you’ll get entertainment.
Spieth hit a lefty punch-out on the par-4 5th on Friday, giving himself a chance to go up and down to save par. He didn’t, though, but it could’ve been far worse than his second straight bogey. He’s at 1 under.
Bhatia a co-leader after another strong round
Akshay Bhatia followed up his 5-under 67 with a 6-under 66 in Round 2, tying Min Woo Lee for the co-lead.
Bhatia made eight birdies on Friday, including this one on 18.
Super group breaks up
Xander Schauffele birdied his final hole to reach 2 under, likely extending his cuts-made streak to 59.
Schauffele (currently T-56) shot 71 Friday while Scottie Scheffler (T-15) had a 70 and Rory McIlroy (4th) carded a 68.
The trio will have new playing partners in Round 3.
Poor finish leaves Rory McIlroy two back
McIlroy bogeyed two of his final four holes Friday to shoot 68 and finish at 9 under, two back of clubhouse leader Min Woo Lee.
After a bogey at the par-4 sixth (his 15th), McIlroy’s second on the par-5 ninth found tree trouble. He punched out and then hit a wedge from 86 yards to 13 feet, missing from there.
Bogey to finish for Min Woo Lee
An errant approach at the par-5 ninth (his final hole) led to Min Woo Lee’s first dropped shot of the day.
Lee finished with a 6-under 66 to enter the weekend at 11 under. He’s currently tied for the lead.
Collin Morikawa holes 3-wood!
Granted, it was from off the green on his 13th hole, but it was still impressive and the birdie moved him to 8 under, four off the lead.
The birdies keep coming
Rory McIlroy birdies his 11th hole to tie Min Woo Lee for the lead and Lee quickly birdies his 14th hole of the day (his third straight birdie) to again move one clear at 12 under.
Min Woo Lee-der
With back-to-back birdies — and five over his last eight holes — Min Woo Lee reaches 11 under and takes a one-shot advantage over Rory McIlroy and J.J. Spaun.
Akshay Bhatia one back
With a birdie at the par-3 17th (his eighth hole), Bhatia is at 9 under and one back of Rory McIlroy.
Bhatia has made four birdies so far on Friday at TPC Sawgrass.
The super group through 9
1. Rory McIlroy (-10)T-7. Scottie Scheffler (-5)
T-36. Xander Schauffele (-2)
McIlroy turns in 31, with the solo lead
Rory McIlroy, beginning at the 10th, made five birdies on his inward half to take sole possession of the lead, at 10 under, in Round 2 of The Players.
Morikawa almost matches caddie’s ace at 17
J.J. Jakovac aced the par-3 17th Wednesday during the annual caddie competition. His boss, Collin Morikawa, nearly did the same Friday.
Mallet vs. blade
Rory McIlroy, Scottie Scheffler and Co. weigh in on the great debate:
Mallet vs. Blade: The science behind two putters
Take a look at why some PGA Tour players are moving a mallet putter over the more aesthetically pleasing blade style.
Rory is rolling in Round 2
McIlroy has four birdies in his first seven holes Friday and is tied for the lead at 9 under. After hitting only four of 14 fairways in Round 1, he’s hit 4/6 so far in Round 2.
McIlroy briefly a co-leader
McIlroy birdied his third hole (the 12th) while J.J. Spaun bogeyed the fifth. That knotted the two at 7 under before Spaun rebounded with a birdie at the sixth.
Mr. 89 shoots 68
Quite the return for Max McGreevy:
Scottie Scheffler, meanwhile …
The two-time defending champion birdied the par-5 11 (his second) to get to 4 under. He’s tied for eighth and four back of leader J.J. Spaun.
No birdie-birdie start for Rory
After chipping in for birdie at the 10th (his first hole), McIlroy had 5 feet for back-to-back birdies to start his day. He never touched the hole, however, missing left.
What’s the cut at The Players?
Top 65 and ties (no 10-shot rule) make it to the weekend. The current projected cut line is 1 under, where Xander Schauffele sits after an opening birdie.
Hot start for overnight co-leader
J.J. Spaun birdied Nos. 1 and 2 to take a quick two-shot advantage at 8 under par early on Friday.
McIlroy birdies his first hole in Rd. 2
One hole, one pitch-in for McIlroy. He gets to 6 under and trails J.J. Spaun by two shots.
Friday’s forecast in Ponte Vedra Beach
Second round tee times, groupings
Round 1 and Round 2 simultaneously
While the second round will begin at 7:40 a.m. EDT, the first round, which was suspended by darkness, will recommence at 8:50 a.m. Five players need to finish their opening 18, including Max McGreevy, who faces a 16-footer for birdie at the par-3 17th to tie the lead.
