PONTE VEDRA, Fla. — Through two rounds at TPC Sawgrass, the Players Championship has delivered a compelling leaderboard heading into the weekend. Though Rory McIlroy and Scottie Scheffler have struggled to make a charge, plenty of the world’s best have been able to tame a tougher version of this yearly stop on the PGA Tour.
With eight players within six shots of the lead, including two-time major winner Xander Schauffele and former Players winner Justin Thomas, and leader Ludvig Åberg up by only two strokes, the final two rounds of the Players should once again deliver a blockbuster finish.
Here’s what we’re watching for the rest of the way.
How far back is still in contention?
Mark Schlabach: With world No. 1 golfer Scottie Scheffler and defending Players champion Rory McIlroy struggling, and Collin Morikawa withdrawing because of a back injury, the PGA Tour couldn’t have asked for a much better leaderboard at the halfway mark.
Probably four or five strokes back is as far as you can go — unless someone plays like Scheffler in 2024. He was six strokes behind Wyndham Clark after 36 holes in the Players Championship, then chased him down with an 8-under 64 in the final round to win at TPC Sawgrass for the second straight season.
There are a lot of accomplished golfers in the top 10, so it’s going to be difficult for anyone to pass all of them.
Paolo Uggetti: Anything can happen on the back nine at TPC Sawgrass come Sunday, and yet I don’t see a big enough name more than four shots back who could give the leaders a scare come the weekend. I think 5-under is too far back and 6-under may be, too, in large part because I can’t envision seeing Aberg, Schauffele and Cam Young all imploding.
Which player could be a ‘surprise’ contender Sunday?
Schlabach: Sepp Straka isn’t as widely known as Schauffele, Åberg or Thomas, but the 32-year-old had four victories the previous four seasons and was twice a member of a winning European Ryder Cup team.
Straka’s game had been trending coming into the week, and he’s 7 under after 36 holes.
Straka’s ball striking hasn’t been spectacular, but he has scrambled as well as anyone this week, converting 15-of-15 opportunities. He is also gaining about 3½ strokes in putting.
Straka has avoided big mistakes. He had only one bogey in the first 36 holes.
After hitting only six of 14 fairways in the first round, he spent some extra time on the driving range. He hit 11 of 14 fairways while posting a 2-under 70 on Friday. His iron play wasn’t as good in the second round, so if he gets his swing dialed in, he could be a contender Sunday.
The Austrian-born golfer moved to south Georgia when he was 14. He attended the Players Championship every year in high school.
He finished tied for 16th or better in three of his previous four starts, so he knows how to get his way around TPC Sawgrass. “This is obviously one of the biggest golf tournaments in the world,” Straka said. “It would be pretty incredible [to win]. But, yeah, it’s only Friday, just past noon, so [I’m] not trying to get ahead of myself here.”
Uggetti: How about a guy who has already won a big event this season? Jacob Bridgeman has been one of the most consistent players this year and, after winning the Genesis Invitational last month, he’s back near the top of another marquee tournament.
Bridgeman, who has three top-10 finishes this season and has not finished outside the top 25 in any event this year, shot 68 on Friday after a 70 on Thursday and is at 6-under heading into the weekend.
“I think I’ve always liked this place just because I think you have to hit it really straight and conservative off the tee. There’s not really a whole lot of room for aggression off the tee,” Bridgeman said. “Kind of just got to hit it where the course gives you. I kind of like that style of golf.”
The 26-year-old has not had a particularly great ball-striking week so far (he ranks near the middle of the field in strokes gained: tee to green) but his putting has proved once again to be his superpower. Bridgeman is gaining 5.6 strokes on the green so far. He said Friday that he felt he played better Thursday than he did Friday even though he posted a lower score. If he is able to find a few more fairways and greens come the weekend, the putting may carry him into contention once again.
Who finishes the weekend higher, Scottie or Rory?
Schlabach: For a golfer who wasn’t sure he’d be able to tee it up this week because of a back injury — and who didn’t even play a single practice round — McIlroy did a nice job rallying to make the cut Friday.
The defending Players Championship winner got comfortably under the cut line with a birdie on the par-5 ninth, his final hole of the second round. He narrowly missed a 31-foot eagle putt after reaching the green in two shots.
McIlroy said NBC Sports reporter Jim “Bones” Mackay asked him about his pre-Masters plans while walking up the ninth fairway.
“I said, ‘Bones, I’ll tell you after this hole. There’s a lot riding on this golf hole,”’ McIlroy said. “Obviously, I wanted to make the cut. Of course, you want to be here for the weekend.”
McIlroy carded a 1-under 71 to move to 1 over after 36 holes.
“I wish I was further up the leaderboard,” McIlroy said. “I felt like I played well enough today to be up the leaderboard, I just couldn’t get a putt to drop. I feel like I hit the ball a bit better today than I did yesterday.”
After tweaking his back while warming up before the third round of last week’s Arnold Palmer Invitational, McIlroy said he’s avoiding pre-round workouts this week.
He planned to get treatment and take a couple of muscle relaxers after Friday’s round at TPC Sawgrass.
“[My back] feels pretty much there,” McIlroy said. “Not all the way there, but like, I feel like it’s just progressively getting better each and every day.”
Uggetti: Given McIlroy’s rustiness so far this week after not having a regular prep week, I would still lean Scheffler, even though the No. 1 player in the world is dealing with his own struggles.
An even par 72 on Thursday sent Scheffler straight to the range where he hit balls for a while under pouring rain. Friday was not much better. He missed as many fairways as he did in the first round (seven) and as many greens as he missed too (six) while losing 1.3 strokes with his putting, a mark nearly three shots worse than in the opening round.
Scheffler did not speak to the media after the round, and though he made the cut by two strokes, he will need to once again find some rhythm to make another weekend charge up the leaderboard.
Pick your winner
Schlabach: Xander Schauffele has been showing signs of breaking through again, and he certainly is beginning to look like the golfer who won two major championships in 2024.
Schauffele grabbed the clubhouse lead after Friday’s early wave, carding a 7-under 65 to move to 10 under.
He hit all 14 fairways on Friday, along with finding 16 of 18 greens. His iron play has been fantastic so far; he led the field in strokes gained: approach (11.413) after 36 holes.
“Yeah, [I] wasn’t aware of all the fairways hit,” Schauffele said. “Definitely nice to hit all of them, especially on this property. Definitely for the most part, I felt like I was in control and felt like I was attacking the golf course versus playing defensive.”
Schauffele hit only 5 of 14 fairways in the first round. He spent some time with swing coach Chris Como on the driving range to iron things out.
The 10-time PGA Tour winner isn’t ready to say he’s back to his old form, after a painful rib injury derailed his 2025 season.
“I’m definitely hitting a lot of really good golf shots,” Schauffele said. “I think even earlier in this year I started hitting a lot of good golf shots again. 2024 was a year full of really good results, and right now I think we’re a little bit more focused on the process bit of it, trying to make sure things are sort of ironed out and in a decent spot. Then after that you go and compete.”
Uggetti: I’m sticking with my pre-tournament pick, Ludvig Åberg. After a tough start to the season, the Swede has clearly found something and has gotten in a groove just as major season is approaching.
“I think my mind is very good when it’s simple, and when things are very easy, and that’s what I’ve felt like I’ve been able to do over the last couple of weeks,” Åberg said.
He shot 29 on the front nine at TPC Sawgrass on Friday and finished with a 63 that included two eagles and made him look every bit the part of one of the best players in the world when he’s swinging it the way he has as of late. Though he downplayed the advantage, it’s important to note that this is Åberg’s home course now and the place he practices. It’s safe to say this particular layout fits his game extremely well.
“Sawgrass is also a golf course where you have to execute golf shots, and I love the golf course because it’s right in front of you,” Åberg said. “It’s very straightforward, but you still have to do it. Is there an advantage? Maybe. But you still have to hit the shots.”
Through two days, no one is hitting the shots better than him.
Leave a Reply