© Cliff Hawkins/Getty Images Sport
The second round of the Players Championship at Bay Hill was suspended overnight, but it can practically be considered concluded. Currently, Wyndham Clark maintains the lead solo this time. The reigning US Open champion shows no signs of slowing down, repeating yesterday’s impressive performance with a score of -7 and soaring to the top at -14 with eight birdies and one bogey.
The Players, results
Xander Schauffele and Canadian Nick Taylor hold the second position at -10, with respective scores of -3 and -4. There are also positive signs from Matt Fitzpatrick, who sits in fourth place at -9 alongside the rather surprising Maverick McNealy.
In the group tied for sixth at -8, we find the world number one Scottie Scheffler, Tom Hoge, Canadian Corey Conners, and German Matti Schmid. Among those at -7, alongside Clark, is Brian Harman, who managed to recover and join J.T.
Poston, Sahith Theegala, and C.T. Pan from Chinese Taipei. It was a somewhat negative day for Rory McIlroy, who went from -7 yesterday to +1 today, dropping to 14th place at -6. There is good news from Francesco Molinari, who comfortably made the cut thanks to his -3 today, which is also his total score.
The Italian recorded four birdies, including three consecutively from the 6th to the 8th hole, and one bogey. This marks his second weekend reached in 2023, after making it through the cut at the Farmers Insurance Open, although he finished 73rd on that occasion.
The tournament was created by the then-PGA Tour commissioner Deane Beane, with the first edition taking place in 1974 at the Atlanta Country Club in Marietta. The following year, the competition was moved to Texas, held at the Colonial Country Club in Fort Worth, and in 1976, it was played at the Inverrary Country Club in Lauderhill, Florida.
In 1976, the PGA reached a multi-year agreement with the Sawgrass Country Club to host the annual tournament starting in 1977. From 1982 onward, the tournament has been held across the street to the west at the Stadium Course of the TPC at Sawgrass.
Starting in 1987, the event was renamed the Players Championship, no longer being referred to as the Tournament Players Championship. The 2020 edition was canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
