Ponte Vedra (USA), Mar 16 (PTI) Indian-American Sahith Theegala found six birdies against one bogey to card 5-under 67 and jump to 10th spot after the second round at the PLAYERS Championship at TPC Sawgrass.
He was tied 37th after the first round but made a big leap with birdies in 10th, 14th and 16th hole. On his second nine, he birdied the second, fourth and eighth and dropped one shot at third.
The lead was held by Wyndham Clark, the reigning US Open champion. Clark shot identical rounds of 65 to be 14-under and four ahead of Xander Schauffele (69) and Canadian Nick Taylor at 10-under at PGA Tour’s flagship event.
England’s Matt Fitzpatrick and American Maverick McNealy are tied fourth at 9-under while defending champion Scottie Scheffler, Canadian Corey Conners and course-record holder Tom Hoge are six shots off the pace at 8-under.
Scheffler needed physiotherapy treatment on a neck complaint during his round. Yet, the world No. 1 managed to post 69. Chinese Taipei’s CT Pan feeling sore in his left wrist saved a huge par save on his last hole at The Stadium Course to post a 4-under 68 for tied 10th place on 7-under.
Asia’s challenge was also being carried by Japan’s Hideki Matsuyama who fought back from a slow start for the second straight day and signed for a successive 69 to sit on 6-under in the USD 25 million showpiece.
Korea’s Si Woo Kim, the 2017 PLAYERS champion, will enter the weekend on 3-under after a 71 while compatriot Sungjae Im shot a 72 to lie on 2-under.
Rory McIlroy was 6-under par going into the weekend, eight shots behind leader Clark.
Will Zalatoris (71-74) and Justin Thomas (73-75) missed the cut and were the biggest names to make an early exit. Also missing out are Eric Cole (72-74), Matthieu Pavon (70-77) and Nick Dunlap (77-70).
Past PLAYERS champions Webb Simpson (2018) and Matt Kuchar (2012) also missed the cut.
Source: PTI News
