PONTE VEDRA, FLORIDA — Through two rounds at TPC Sawgrass, The Players Championship has produced a fascinating leaderboard over the weekend. Although Rory McIlroy And Scotty Scheffler Having struggled to make a charge, many of the world’s best have been able to tame a tough edition of this annual stop on the PGA Tour.
Lead with eight players within six shots, including two-time major winner xander schaufele and former player winner Justin Thomasand leader ludvig aberg With just two strokes up, the players’ final two rounds should once again deliver a blockbuster finish.
This is what we have been watching for the rest of the time.
How far back is still in dispute?
Mark Schlabach: World No. 1 golfer Scottie Scheffler and defending champion Rory McIlroy are battling, and collin morikawa After withdrawing due to a back injury, he couldn’t have asked for a better leaderboard at the halfway point of the PGA Tour.
Probably going back four or five strokes is as far as you can go – unless someone plays like Scheffler in 2024. he was six strokes behind Windham Clark After 36 holes at the Players Championship, he followed it up with an 8-under 64 in the final round to win at TPC Sawgrass for the second consecutive season.
There are many accomplished golfers in the top 10, so it would be difficult for anyone to surpass them all.
Paolo Ughetti: Anything can happen on the back nine at TPC Sawgrass on Sunday, and yet I don’t see any big names more than four shots back who could threaten the leaders over the weekend. I think 5-under is too far back and 6-under might be too big because I can’t imagine seeing Aberg, Schauffele, and Cam Young explode.
Which player could be a ‘surprise’ contender on Sunday?
Schlabach: sepp straka Schauffele is not as widely known as Aberg or Thomas, but the 32-year-old had four wins in the last four seasons and was a member of the two-time winning European Ryder Cup team.
Straka’s play has been trending this week and his score is 7 under after 36 holes.
Straka’s ball striking hasn’t been spectacular, but he has been as good as anyone this week and converted 15 out of 15 chances. He is also getting an advantage of about three and a half strokes in putting.
Straka has avoided major mistakes. He had only one bogey in the first 36 holes.
After hitting only six of 14 fairways in the first round, he spent some extra time on the driving range. He hit 11 of 14 fairways for a 2-under 70 on Friday. His play wasn’t as good in the second round, so if he finds his swing, he could be a contender on Sunday.
The Austrian-born golfer moved to South Georgia at the age of 14. He competed in the Players Championship every year in high school.
He finished 16th or better in three of his last four starts, so he knows how to make his way around TPC Sawgrass. “It’s obviously one of the biggest golf tournaments in the world,” Straka said. “It would be incredible [to win]. But, yes, it’s only Friday, it’s only afternoon, so [I’m] “I’m not trying to get ahead of myself here.”
Ughetti: How about a guy who has already won a major event this season? jacob bridgman Has been one of the most consistent players this year and after winning the Genesis Invitational last month, he is back on top of another major tournament.
Bridgeman, who has finished in the top-10 three times this season and has not finished outside the top 25 in any event this year, shot 68 on Friday after a 70 on Thursday and is at 6-under for the weekend.
“I think I’ve always liked this place because I think you have to hit it really straight and conservative. There’s not really a lot of room for aggression,” Bridgman said. “You just have to hit where the course puts you. I like that style of golf.”
The 26-year-old hasn’t had a great ball-striking week so far (he’s near the middle of the field in strokes gained: tee to green) but his putting has once again proven to be his superpower. Bridgeman is gaining 5.6 strokes on the green so far. He said Friday that he felt he played better Thursday than Friday, even though he scored lower. If he’s able to find some more fairways and greens over the weekend, his putting could propel him back into contention.
Who ends the weekend better, Scotty or Rory?
Schlabach: For a golfer who wasn’t able to play it all this week because of a back injury — and who didn’t even play a single practice round — McIlroy did a good job of rallying to make the cut on Friday.
The defending Players Championship winner got comfortably under the cut line with birdie on the par-5 ninth, his final hole of the second round. After reaching the green in two shots, he narrowly missed a 31-foot eagle putt.
McIlroy said NBC Sports reporter Jim “Bones” McKay asked him about his pre-Masters plans while walking down the ninth fairway.
“I said, ‘Bones, I’ll tell you after this hole. There’s a lot riding on this golf hole,'” McIlroy said. “Obviously, I wanted to make the cut. Of course, you’ll want to stay here for the weekend.”
McIlroy carded 1-under 71 to move to 1-over after 36 holes.
“I wish I was higher on the leaderboard,” McIlroy said. “I felt like I played well enough today to get on the leaderboard, I just couldn’t get any putts to drop. I feel like I hit the ball a little better today than yesterday.”
After tweaking his back while warming up before the third round of last week’s Arnold Palmer Invitational, McIlroy said he is avoiding pre-round workouts this week.
He planned to undergo treatment and take some muscle relaxants after Friday’s round at TPC Sawgrass.
“[My back] It feels great out there,” McIlroy said. “Not at all, but I feel like it’s getting progressively better every day.”
Ughetti: Given McIlroy’s sluggishness so far this week due to not having a regular preparation week, I’d still lean toward Scheffler, even if the world No. 1 is dealing with his own struggles.
An even par 72 on Thursday sent Scheffler straight to the range where he hit balls briefly in the rain. Friday was not much better. He missed the same number of fairways as he had in the first round (seven) and the same number of greens (six) while losing 1.3 strokes in his putting, almost three shots worse than in the opening round.
Scheffler did not speak to the media after the round, and although he made the cut by two strokes, he will need to find some rhythm once again to move up the leaderboard heading into another weekend.
Choose your winner
Schlabach: Xander Schauffele is showing signs of progress again, and he’s certainly starting to look like the golfer who won two major championships in 2024.
Schauffele took the clubhouse lead after Friday’s opening wave and carded a 7-under 65 to move to 10 under.
He visited all 14 fairways on Friday, as well as found 16 of 18 greens. His iron play has been excellent so far; He led the field in strokes gained (11.413) after 36 holes.
“Yes, [I] I didn’t know about all the fairways hit,” Schauffele said. “It’s definitely nice to hit them all, especially on this property. “Certainly for the most part, I felt like I was in control and felt like I was attacking the golf course versus playing defensively.”
Schauffele hit only 5 of 14 fairways in the first round. To get things straight, he spent some time with swing coach Chris Como on the driving range.
The 10-time PGA Tour winner is not ready to say he is back to his old form after a painful rib injury derailed his 2025 season.
“I’m definitely hitting a lot of good golf shots,” Schauffele said. “I think even at the beginning of this year I started hitting a lot of good golf shots again. 2024 was a year full of really good results, and right now I think we’re focusing a little more on the process of it, trying to make sure things fall into place and be in a good spot. Then you go out and compete.”
Ughetti: I stick to my pre-tournament selection, Ludwig Aberg. After a difficult start to the season, the Swede has clearly found something and is getting into rhythm as the major season approaches.
“I think my brain works best when things are simple, and when things are very easy, and the last few weeks I’ve felt like I’ve been able to do that,” Aberg said.
He shot 29 on the front nine at TPC Sawgrass on Friday and finished with a score of 63, which included two eagles, and while he has been swinging the way he has recently, he looks the part of one of the best players in the world. Although he downplayed the advantage, it is important to note that this is now Aberg’s home course and is where he practices. It’s safe to say that this particular layout fits their game very well.
“Sawgrass is also a golf course where you have to hit golf shots and I love the golf course because it’s right in front of you,” Aberg said. “It’s pretty straightforward, but you still have to do it. Is there an advantage to it? Maybe. But you still have to hit shots.”
In two days, nobody is hitting better shots than him.
