5 Takeaways through 36 holes at The Players

Wyndham Clark is clearly a cut above the rest through two rounds of the Players Championship at TPC Sawgrass.

The 2023 U.S. Open champion has been a putting machine over 36 holes to build a four-shot edge over Xander Schauffele and Nick Taylor.

Here are five takeaways heading into the weekend in Northeast Florida.

Wyndham made for big events

Want to know whether a golf event is important or not over the past 10 months? Look for Clark's name on the leaderboard. Since arriving at the Wells Fargo signature event last May, Clark's performed brilliantly when it matters most and skyrocketed up the world rankings. The 30-year-old won the U.S. Open last summer, claimed two signature event titles at Quail Hollow and Pebble Beach, and finished solo second in last week's prestigious Arnold Palmer Invitational. Perhaps it's no surprise he sits atop the leaderboard through two rounds at The Players.

Clark arrived at TPC Sawgrass last year ranked 116th in the world. Should he hold on to win this time around, he'll rise to No. 3. He's made Players history through two rounds:

Clark's one of the TOUR's best drivers, but his putting is shining brightly so far at Sawgrass. He's gained over seven strokes on the green through 36 holes to lead the field by a wide margin.

Mix in a par, Rory

Even roller-coaster enthusiasts were overwhelmed by Rory McIlroy's second round on Friday. The first-round co-leader followed up Thursday's 10-birdie day by making five more in Round 2 to rank first in the field in that statistic. That was the good. The bad news - McIlroy is dead last in the 142-man field in pars made this week. While the birdie total explains most of that, the 2019 champion has also hit three tee shots in the water and made five bogeys and two doubles.

There is no shot in the bag that McIlroy can't hit, but, as a result, the four-time major winner is taking dangerous chances around TPC Sawgrass. Pete Dye's masterpiece rewards the bold but punishes even the slightest misstep - something that is very evident when looking at McIlroy's card.

He lost eight shots to Clark on Friday, dropping from co-leader to a tie for 14th. While a more prudent approach would likely have McIlroy sitting closer to the lead heading into the weekend, he will need to remain aggressive to have any shot at an improbable charge. That could make Saturday's round even more topsy-turvy than we witnessed on Day 2.

Taylor the bounce-back King

Nick Taylor is becoming a household name on TOUR. He enjoyed two of the most dramatic finishes in recent memory - an epic 72-foot eagle to win last year's Canadian Open and an incredible playoff victory five weeks ago in Phoenix. That never-say-die mindset was on full display Friday as he shot up the leaderboard in Florida.

Bogeys are lurking at every turn throughout TPC Sawgrass, making bounce-back ability a highly important stat at the iconic layout. Taylor shone at that part of the game in Round 2, immediately erasing his three bogeys with three birdies on the very next hole. The Canadian actually carded three straight birdies after an early bogey on No. 3, then ripped off two in three holes after bogeying No. 8.

However, his best showing came after a bogey on No. 14, as he stiffed two straight approaches on No. 15 and 16 to reach 10-under for the championship and put himself firmly in the mix.

JT's major problem

The Players is unofficially referred to as golf's fifth major, and whether you agree with that moniker or not, it's undoubtedly one of golf's biggest events. It also represents the latest example of Justin Thomas' struggles in golf's most notable tournaments.

Thomas won The Players in 2021 and followed that up with his second PGA Championship victory 14 months later. However, since that victory at Southern Hills in Oklahoma, it's been bleak for Thomas at big events. Entering this week at Sawgrass, the Alabama alum had only one finish inside the top 40 in the last seven majors and Players Championships. His missed cut this week means he's now failed to make the weekend in four of his last eight starts in golf's biggest events.

2024 Players: Cut
2023 Open Championship: Cut
2023 U.S. Open: Cut
2023 PGA Championship: T65
2023 Masters: Cut
2023 Players: T60
2022 Open Championship: T53
2022 U.S. Open: T37

The setup at majors and The Players are meant to be significantly tougher than week-to-week events on the PGA TOUR. Misses hurt more with flaws magnified on the biggest stage. That was true for Thomas at TPC Sawgrass, where he was exposed on everything but his sterling approach play. Thomas ranked outside the top 100 in the field in strokes gained: off the tee, putting, and around the green. Even ranking a sparkling fifth in approach wasn't enough for the 30-year-old to see the weekend.

Injury can't stop Scottie

We now know Scottie Scheffler is human ... sort of. Like most weekend golfers, Scheffler battled a nagging injury throughout his round on Friday. However, unlike anyone else holding a club, the best golfer on the planet still managed to get to the clubhouse with a 3-under 69. That extended his outrageous streak of under-par rounds to 25 - a run that stretches all the way back to last August.

Scheffler needed treatment from the physio multiple times throughout his round and was clearly affected on shots requiring a full swing. Despite his troublesome neck, the World No. 1 avoided disaster with only two bogeys on his card, the result of a tidy short game. Scheffler chipped in for birdie on No. 3 and got up and down a couple other times to rank fifth on the day in strokes gained: around the green.

While he sits six back of Clark, there are only four golfers ahead of the defending champion heading into the weekend. Provided his neck loosens up overnight and he's able to swing freely, Scheffler is still a very real threat to win the tournament.