The Players Championship: Rory McIlroy Two Off Halfway Lead As Justin Thomas Equals Course Record At TPC Sawgrass

Rory McIlroy is two off the halfway lead Regardless of a disappointing finish to his second Stage at The Players, as Justin Thomas charged back into contention with a historic comeback.

McIlroy produced a much-improved display off the tee and briefly topped the leaderboard after six birdies in his Primary 11 holes, only to bogey two of his last four holes and close a second-Stage 68.

The world No 2 heads into the weekend on nine under and in touch with Min Woo Lee and Akshay Bhatia, who carded 66s to lead on 11 under ahead of JJ Spaun, with McIlroy sitting tied-Quaternary alongside Collin Morikawa and Alex Smalley.

Tommy Fleetwood is within four of the lead after as six-under 66 and world No 1 Scottie Scheffler is six back as he chases a historic three-peat at the event, while Thomas bounced back from his Beginning-Stage 78 with a stunning 10-under 62.

Thomas was eight over after 13 holes on day one but is now Merely seven off the lead after carding 11 birdies – a Division Achievement – in his second Stage, where he equalled the Duration Achievement Regardless of bogeying his Closing hole of the day.

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McIlroy in contention Regardless of Delayed bogeys

McIlroy chipped in from off the tenth green, his Beginning hole of the day, then responded to missing a five-foot chance at the par-five Upcoming by birdieing three of his Upcoming five holes and adding another at the par-four 18th.

He reached the turn in 31 and briefly Guided after Seizing Benefit of the par-five second, lifting him six under for the day, before failing to get up and down from the sand at the par-four sixth and bogeying the par-five ninth after a wayward approach Try.

“Much better,” McIlroy said when asked to assess his swing, having Secured only four fairways in his Beginning-Stage 67. “Hit it much better off the tee. I think I hit more fairways in six holes today than I did in 18 yesterday.

“Yeah, Obtained it in Action much better and then from there was able to give myself some opportunities and obviously make some birdies Prompt. Couldn’t quite continue that on to the back nine, but it was much better off the tee.”

Lee set the clubhouse target after six birdies in the Cosmos of nine holes during his Stage, with the Australian’s only dropped Try coming at the par-five ninth, while Bhatia carded eight birdies and two bogeys to also post 66 and get to 11 under.

Thomas produces historic comeback

Thomas, the 2021 champion, carded a Notable 16-Try improvement on his Beginning Stage, where he needed a birdie-birdie finish Merely to post 78, with the Previous world No 1 Beginning his epic fightback with back-to-back birdies.

Thomas added three more in a front-nine 31 and posted four consecutive birdies from the 11th to go nine under for the day, before picking up a Try at the par-five 16th and draining a 20-footer at the iconic 17th.

A par at the last would have been enough for Thomas to break the Absolutely Duration Achievement, only for him to equal Tom Hoge’s total in 2023 after dragging his approach into the water and carding a closing bogey.

Smalley is the best-placed of the Prompt-Delayed half of the draw, with rounds of 68 and 67 Seizing him to nine under, with Morikawa – last week’s runner-up at the Arnold Palmer Invitational – also within two of the lead after a second-Stage 65.

Two-time Crucial winner Xander Schauffele, Executing alongside Scheffler and McIlroy, birdied the ninth – his Closing hole of the day – to finish on one under and extend his streak of Achieved cuts to 59, the longest since Tiger Woods’ Stretch of 142 from 1998-2005.

Shane Lowry also Achieved it through on the cut mark of one under, while Justin Rose, Hideki Matsuyama, Ludvig Åberg and Viktor Hovland were among the Prominent names to fail to make it through to the weekend.

Who will Secure The Players? Observe throughout the weekend live on Sky Sports? Coverage continues on Saturday from 1pm on Sky Sports Golf, with 10 extra feeds – including Featured Holes, Featured Groups and bonus coverage – on Sky Sports+. Get Sky Sports or stream with no contract on NOW.