Sweden s Jonas Blixt and Germany s Alex Cejka each fired 67s for the second day in a row to share the early clubhouse lead on 10-under 134 for 36 holes with afternoon starters still on the course.
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On the Par 5 16th, Lowry putted from off the front of the green for a tap-in birdie and, after failing to convert a birdie chance from 10 feet on the famed island hole, where he’d hit “a hard sand wedge from 124 yards” off the tee, he then ripped a 332 yards drive down the 18th and put his sand wedge approach to 15 feet and sank the birdie putt to finish in style.
“Day is now two shots ahead of a group of five players which includes Englishman Justin Rose, on -7, and the chasing pack will be hoping for a quick start on Friday”.
Fowler went birdie-eagle-birdie-birdie to get into a playoff a year ago, and including the playoff, he made birdie on the par-3 17th island green three times on Sunday.
Defending champion Rickie Fowler, Jordan Spieth, 2008 victor Sergio Garcia and pre-tournament favorite Rory McIlroy all finished at even par 72.
Defending champion Rickie Fowler shot 71 and was at 1-under 143. Even so, Day was eight shots better than the average score of the strongest and deepest field in golf.
His 40-foot birdie attempt on the par-3 eighth looked good ball the way, and Day began to backpedal as the ball got closer to the cup, a move he first made famous when he won the PGA Championship past year. He made nine of them, and his longest par putt was 30 inches.
“I felt like I putted quite nicely”. Lowry hit a tee shot so fat on the 17th that it didn’t even reach land – the pin was at the back – and he scrambled for bogey.
“I thought I’d be booking a plane ticket now, how I was feeling on Wednesday”, Lowry said. Despite this being his fourth consecutive round at The Players in which he didn’t break par, Spieth is convinced that shaking off some rust from not playing since the Masters should serve him well.
No one came close to catching Day in the afternoon, but those players should get a crack at keeping close to him when they tee off Friday morning.
“Just got things going”.
Playing the back side first, McIlroy is seven under on his opening nine holes, carding a record-equalling 29.
Then came Rory McIlroy, 7 under through seven holes when he made a 50-foot eagle putt from just off the 16th green.
Day labored for two pars until it all changed on the last two holes he finished.
Ryan Moore looks away after missing a birdie putt on the 18th green during the first round of The Players Championship golf tournament Thursday, May 12, 2016, in Ponte Vedra Beach, Fla.
“I started OK today and then obviously got going on the back nine and it’s always nice to shoot 29 at some stage”.
The biggest thrill belonged to Will Wilcox, who hit pitching wedge for a hole-in-one on the island-green 17th. But he hit a ideal pitch that just landed on the green and rolled down to a foot for a birdie. It got worse. His next shot went right, reached a cart path and kept bouncing until it was some 60 yards beyond the green.
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“I shot an 81 the last time I played here, so, no”, he said with a smile, eliciting laughter.
