The 40th edition of The Players Championship is making the turn after 36 holes, and so far it has lived up to its unofficial reputation as golf’s ‘Fifth Major’. Big names have risen to the top of the leaderboard as well as the ones who have sunken to the deepest levels of the missed cut.
The Pete Dye designed TPC Sawgrass Stadium course is one of the most challenging courses in golf. Pro golfers are aware that they must bring in their arsenal, and be ready to use every single shot possible.
You have to be able to survive the course and play your best throughout the four rounds and hope that is enough to win the tournament. It’s not a guarantee, but it will help. That is the reason why, most of the times, it’s just the hottest player during that weekend that wins it.
On opening day yesterday, Roberto Castro shot a nine-under 63 in his debut round at The Players Championship to match the Stadium Course record and take the first-round lead at TPC Sawgrass. But he ballooned to a six-over 78 on Friday to take a 15 shot swing the wrong way, dropping into a T-29th.
On Friday, we have a total of nine players that have played both rounds under 70. Those would be the top eight players in the leaderboard, plus 2013 Masters champ Adam Scott who is in a four-way T-9th.
Considering the scoring swings, being five shots from the lead, seems like a spot where you can be considered within striking distance for the weekend. That means that the next 18 players behind the leader, 2008 Players Champion Sergio Garcia, are the ones with the best shot at taking the title.
Let’s take a look at the winners and losers at the 36-hole halfway mark in The Players Championship.
Winners
Sergio Garcia, Leader at 11-under (68-65) – He is already the leading money winner in Players Championship history, and will be on the pole position when they start the third round on Saturday, playing alongside Tiger Woods.
He stormed to the lead after birdies on eight of his last 12 holes. Only a bogey on No. 1 (he started on the back nine) kept him from tying the course record of 30 on the front nine.
Don’t look for Garcia to fade away in the weekend. He knows this course very well and the challenge of playing with Woods will fuel him.
Tiger Woods, solo second at 10-under (67-67) – His game is hitting all cylinders right now and all systems are good for the launch of his bid for a second Players title. Everything on his game has been like clockwork.
Woods matched his first-round 67 on Friday, on a round that was highlighted by his spectacular eagle on the Par-5 second—his 10th after starting in the back nine. After finding the primary left rough with his drive, he fired a sensational 252-yards second shot well into the green, 20 feet to the left of the hole.
He would take a good look at that eagle-putt and with laser precision; he sank the putt to the standing ovation and roar of the witnessing crowd.
Woods will be paired with Garcia in the third round. This is not a final round paring on Sunday (yet) but it will be reminiscent of that unforgettable 1999 PGA Championship final round duel between them. What could top that? To watch these two shot-making machines go at it for 36 holes and the Players title.
Lee Westwood, T-3rd nine-under (69-66) – He entered The Players gradually peaking with a T-10th (Houston), T-8th (Masters) and T-4th (Wells Fargo) in last three starts. He also sports three top-six finishes in 10 tries at TPC Sawgrass.
On Thursday he opened making par in his first 14 holes and finished with three birdies in the last four. That momentum carried on to Friday which saw him chip-in for eagle at the 11th hole, his second of the day, then added birdie putts of 14 feet and 12 inches on his next two.
He would go on to add two more birdies on the day and now sits just two shots off the leader Garcia, and in a tie with Kevin Chappell. He has been bogey-free so far and if he continues his hot play, he could be in line for his first Players title.
Honorable Mentions
Henrik Stenson, T-3rd at nine-under (68-67) – The 2009 champ Swede, chipped in for an eagle on the last hole, his second eagle on Friday. His past success and experience here has been displayed over the first two rounds.
Ryan Palmer, T-6th at eight-under (67-69) – He played with a heavy heart and the initials "CA" on his hat on Friday. But the way he managed to keep his composure before and during the second round after learning that on Thursday night one of his best friends was killed in an accident was remarkable.
He got a little emotional following his par putt on the 18th green, but by just being on the course for Friday made him a winner in my book.
Matt Kuchar,T-9th at seven-under (71-66) – The defending champ had an unimpressive first round, but got it going on Friday with a 67. He played evenly last year throughout the four rounds, if he can replicate that on the weekend, he could become the first ever repeat champion.
Hunter Mahan, T-9th at seven-under (67-70) – Seems to have found his game after not being able to finish better than T-21st, missing two cut and shooting just two rounds in the 60s after his runner-up finish at the WGC-Accenture Match Play. He is a talented streaky player that when on the high ride can win anytime, anywhere.
Losers (Missed the EVEN-PAR Cut)
There are so many that it could take one article dedicated to this section. Five players in the Top 20 in the world missed the cut at The Players. Let’s round up the most notable:
Phil Mickelson (145, 72-73) – He had survived each of the last 11 cuts at TPC Sawgrass, a stretch that included his win in 2007 and six top 25s. But that came to end this year as early as his tee shot found the water on Friday at the Par-4 14th. He just couldn’t get anything going after that.
Justin Rose (146, 72-74) – Even though he had only one finish inside the Top 35, he had been playing his best sitting currently second on Tour in total driving, sixth in GIR, T7 in proximity, fifth in scrambling and T4 in bogey avoidance. None of those stats helped.
He started making two birdies on his second and third holes on Friday, but found the water with his tee shot on the Par-3 13th and the double-bogey erased his great start. Five bogeys and three birdies later he had missed the cut.
Graeme McDowell (146, 70-76) – He was fresh off his playoff victory at the RBC Heritage in Harbour Town another Pete Dye designed course. He was at two-under to start Friday, but a bogey on the first hole set the tone for his round.
He was still inside the cut line at even-par when he made wild double-bogey six in the Par-4 12th hole that sent him home early.
Vijay Singh (145, 74-71) – We must guess that his ill-timed suit against the PGA Tour must have been the dominant issue in his mind and not the TPC Sawgrass Stadium Course.
Dishonorable Mentions
Other notables to have missed the cut: Rickie Fowler (145, 73-72), Jim Furyk (145, 72-73), Ian Poulter (146, 75-71), Nick Watney (146, 76-70), Ernie Els (146, 73-73) and Keegan Bradley (147, 70-77).
Streak Ends
Billy Horschel shot (147, 76-71) and missed the cut. He's going to have nightmares about the Par-4 18th hole. He three-putted from inside 25 feet for double bogey on Thursday, and then knocked two into the water en route to a triple bogey today to miss the cut by three. This is his first missed cut in 24 starts.
Unfortunate
Dustin Johnson withdrew from prior to his second round due to an injury in his lower back. It was the second withdrawal in a row for Johnson, who missed last week's Wells Fargo Championship with an injury to his left wrist. He opened with a two-over-par (74, 36-38) on Thursday.