Player Championship: Rory Mcilroy, Scottie Scheffler ready to face tougher test at TPC Sawgrass | Golf news
Rory Mcilroy and Scottie Scheffler are ready to embrace a tougher TPC Sawgrass test, having reached a weekend dispute in the players.
Mcilroy followed an opening of 67 to four under 68 on Friday morning, where he briefly held the solo lead before two Bogeys in the last four holes he threw back nine down and two behind the leaders of the Clubhouse Akshay Bhatia and Min Woo Lee.
The Northern Irishman was playing in the Marquee group along with Xander Schauffele and World No 1 Scheffler, who is in five and six strokes from half a lead for the second consecutive year as he chases a history of three peat to players.
Rory Mcilroy and Scottie Scheffler are in a weekend dispute in players
The winds are expected to be strengthened over the weekend and bring over 30 miles per hour for later starters in the next two rounds, with Scheffler hoping that changing the circumstances will help him to raise the leaderboard.
“It will be quite difficult this weekend,” Scheffler told reporters after the second round of 70. “The golf course was definitely taking the first two days and I was not able to benefit from the way I would hope.
Scottie Scheffler posted five Birdies and three Bogeys during his second round
“Going to tomorrow and Sunday (there will definitely be a chance there with the changing conditions. The wind is moving around a good amount here.
“If you go like a lesson like where the open leagues are usually. You could play the ball on the ground.
McILROY is trying to become only the seventh player to win multiple players’ versions, having claimed a victory in the 2019 competition, with the world No 2 already enjoying wind conditions in the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am earlier this season.
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Highlights from the final round of AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-am, where Rory Mcilroy impressed a two-shot victory in the first appearance of the PGA Tour of the Year
“I look forward to it,” Mcilroy said of the forthcoming test. “I think it will really be important to try to throw away your ball and keep it down the tree line.
“I think just over the trees line here can start hitting it really (wind), but it swirls a little, but I think when the wind is so powerful, it will be a little more consistent.
Mcilroy found only four platforms from the t -shirt during his lap, but saw huge improvements on Friday, where he entered his first hole of the day and made six birdies in his first 11 holes.
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Rory McILROY broke for Birdie in the four -hole hole, the hole of the opening of the day, during the second round of
“Much better,” Mcilroy added. “Hit it much better than the t -shirt. I think I hit more trips in six holes today than I did on 18 yesterday.
“We got it in the game much better and then from there I was able to give myself some opportunities and obviously to do some birdies early.
Rory Mcilroy is trying to close the gap in Scottie Scheffler at the top of the world rankings
Schauffele completed the Marquee group and continued to be impressed with his own show, only in the second event behind the injury, with the main champion twice needing a final hole to save one under 71 and give the opportunity to do the weekend.
When asked what was wrong with his game, Schauffele said after his second round: “Everything, he didn’t hit him close enough to hit brands, miss every floating street, hit the fairways missing greens.
“It’s gross enough to be completely honest, so if I can get this piece, it would be nice, but the game feels very bad, I’m not sure if it’s something related to the arrangement or something I don’t do or do not do in the area in the area, but it feels very bad.”
Xander Schauffele could move over Rory Mcilroy in the second in the world, depending on the results this week
Scheffler shows cracks in his game?
Sky Sports Golf’s Nick Dougherty, speaking to Sky Sports News about the start of Scheffler and his hopes of winning players for the third consecutive year:
“It’s untouched. I hate to say, almost tiger-esque, for a year-long tiger-esque. No one was in this model since the tiger was in his procession.
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Take a look at how Scottie Scheffler overcame injury issues in 2024 in the player championship to defend his title
“Nine wins last year, including this gold at the Olympics, he won the teachers, he also won this with the back of the back, if he won that would be three wins for the players, something that no one has done except for the big Jack Nicklaus.
“However, there are perhaps a few cracks that appear, definitely in the first two events. He was a slow starter in his time, as soon as he rolls it was very good, but it wasn’t Pinnacle Scottie Scheffler yet.
“If he catches fire all over the weekend, he is more than capable of doing the job. So far, though he seemed a little unstable, a little frustration on his face – small things, but signs we didn’t see last year when he was rising.”
Who will win the players? Watch all weekend live on Sky Sports? The coverage continues on Saturday from 1 pm In Sky Sports Golf, with 10 additional foods – including characterized holes, characterized groups and bonus coverage – in Sky Sports+. Get Sky Sports or flow without contract now.
2025-03-14 21:30:00
