There was a strong suspicion that Roberto Castro, who shot a course-record-equalling round of 63 to lead after Thursday, would be engulfed on Friday by the mass of quality that had gathered just behind him. Ultimately, in the second round of the 40th Players Championship, that proved to be a case, as Castro struggled to a Friday round of 78, as many of the games marquee players ascended to the top of the leaderboard going into the weekend.
Just as they were on Thursday, the morning wave of players were blessed to face a calm and relatively receptive Sawgrass, and many certainly made the most of that opportunity. Sergio Garcia, The Players champion of 2008, started on the 10th, and played the back nine in 34. After a bogey at the 1st, (his 10th), Sergio went on a stunning barrage, making birdie on six of his final eight holes, including five consecutive between the second and sixth. This run compiled to make for a second round of 65 for Garcia, the lowest of the day, and sees him with the 36-hole lead at 11-under.
Reflecting on his excellent play on Friday morning, Sergio noted: "I hit the ball very well and gave myself a lot of good birdie opportunities. I wasn't able to convert many on the front nine, but then I got going on the back nine and I got on a great run there where I made a lot of putts in a row and managed to make those six birdies in a seven-hole stretch, which is nice."
It’s very nice indeed for the 33-year-old Spaniard.
Garcia will take a one-shot-lead into Saturday over world number one Tiger Woods, who also made the most of the sedate morning conditions. Coming off his opening round of 67, his lowest in 16 appearances at Sawgrass, Woods replicated that score on Friday. He expertly plotting his way around the TPC, a venue which has not particularly favoured him in his career, but he used his experience to manage is game brilliantly, missing in the right spots, and producing the sparks of quality when required. An eagle on the second would be the obvious highlight, but the manner in which he birdied the ninth, his final hole of the day, was testament to the imperious course management that he has displayed so far this week. After missing the fairway off the tee, Woods laid up to his favoured yardage, and played a sensible approach in to 20-feet, and he made the subsequent putt.
Looking back at the opening 36-holes, Woods reflected upon back-to-back rounds in the 60s at Sawgrass for the first time since 2004: "I've just never been able to put it all together for this one particular week. I've done it twice (victory in 2001, and runner-up in 2000), but a majority of the years I really haven't done it. But so far this year, I'm right there."
Tiger is certainly right there, and will be looking to continue his dominant record over Garcia in tournaments where they have been paired together. Saturday will be represent the 20th occasion on the PGA Tour in which the two have been paired together, and Woods has bettered Sergio in 12 of this previous 19. Perhaps an even more dominant statistic can be found in more recent times, where, in the last eight occasions they have played together, Tiger is a combined 31 shots better off than the Spaniard. Sergio Garcia will be hoping to exorcise those demons at TPC Sawgrass this weekend.
But there is a stellar chasing pack right on the heels of the leading two players, with Kevin Chappell, Lee Westwood, and former champion, Henrik Stenson, all at 9-under, two shots back of Garcia. Four shots back you have the notable names of defending champion Matt Kuchar, Hunter Mahan, Zach Johnson, and Masters champion Adam Scott. World number two Rory McIlroy finds himself a shot further back at 6-under, after a second round of 72 halted the momentum of his stunning opening round of 66.
The cut-line fell at level par, and many popular names will not be competing in the final 36-holes. Phil Mickelson, Rickie Fowler, Jim Furyk, Ian Poulter, Justin Rose, Nick Watney, and Ernie Els are amongst those whose 2013 Players Championship has ended early.
But for Garcia and Woods, the tournament is still very much alive, and they will be the focal point of what promises to be an absolutely compelling third round at the 40th Players Championship.