Former world number one Rory McIlroy surged into contention for his first win of the year in the Players Championship, despite squandering a wonderful chance to create tournament history.
Advertisement
Rory McIlroy also appeared ready to set a new mark when he was sitting nine-under on his round through 16 holes but he bogeyed the gettable par five ninth, his last to settle for a 64 and eight-under total. Rory McIlroy of Northern Ireland and Dustin Johnson of the United States walk during the second round of THE PLAYERS Championship at the TPC Stadium course on May 13, 2016 in Ponte Vedra Beach, Florida.
American Colt Knost was a shot behind after earlier also missing out on the course record, the world number 184 shooting 63 after three-putting the 18th from 40 feet.
Blixt is an interesting case in that he’s a local – living in Jacksonville Beach – and estimates he plays the course two to three times a week when he’s not out on tour.
Expectations soared as scores plunged on another day of moderate wind and soft greens. For now, the strongest and deepest field in golf was taking dead aim. “Just couldn’t make anything the last two days”, Fowler said. No one has ever won The Players in back-to-back years, a streak that would seem certain to continue. Jimmy Walker hit three balls into the water on the back nine and shot 82.
“This golf course, I never feel comfortable on it. It kind of brings the best out of you and the worst out of you”, Blixt said.
“You do that around here you’re going to shoot a good number because the greens are so small, you’re not going to have very long putts”.
The hole-in-one moved Wilcox from 3 under, and teetering on the cut line, to 5 under and only six shots back.
McIlroy opted to lay up from 271 yards because going for the green historically has not worked out well for him on No. 9. He chunked a wedge, chunked a chip and made bogey for a 64. “Yeah, I was thinking about it, I wanted to make birdie and shoot 62”.
“I don’t feel like I played that much differently today than I did yesterday but it’s an eight-shot difference. That’s the nice thing, I’m in a good position heading into the weekend”. “I’m in a good position even though I finished a little bit frustratingly, but these things happen”. “Hopefully, I’m not too far behind”.
He at least joined Shane Lowry in the record book with a 29 on the back nine.
Knost had never broken par in his previous four rounds at The Players, and this one sure didn’t look special.
The eagle came on the par-5 16th, his seventh hole, where he putted from the fringe 50 feet from the hole and canned it.
It was the first ace on the 17th hole at the TPC Sawgrass since Miguel Angel Jimenez in 2002.
Advertisement
Players were allowed to go to the practice range at 5:15 p.m. Some groups have as many as 12 holes to play so it’s doubtful the second round will be completed before the 8:10 sunset.
