McIlroy, Simpson among big names set to miss cut at The Players

PONTE VEDRA BEACH, FL - MARCH 11: Rory McIlroy of Northern Ireland and Webb Simpson walks along the 13th Tee during the first round of THE PLAYERS Championship on THE PLAYERS Stadium Course at TPC Sawgrass on March 11, 2021, in Ponte Vedra Beach, FL.
Ben Jared / PGA TOUR / Getty

A host of big names are set to miss the weekend at The Players Championship.

Rory McIlroy and Webb Simpson, the last two winners of the event, both struggled over 36 holes and are well back of the projected cutline of even par.

McIlroy, the defending champion, opened with a 7-over 79 before finishing 10-over par for the tournament. Simpson couldn't get anything going with a 3-over 75 on Friday to finish a couple of strokes off the projected number.

Tony Finau, Xander Schauffele, Patrick Cantlay, and, notably, Viktor Hovland are also likely headed home before the weekend.

Hovland, 23, self-reported an infraction after his mother called to ask if he was going to be penalized for failing to put his marker back in the right place after moving it for a competitor Thursday, according to Brentley Romine of Golf Channel.

Tour officials gave the Norwegian a two-stroke penalty for the incident. Hovland then shot a 2-over 74 on Friday to miss the projected cut by two shots.

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